TheCable

Oscar Pistorius, South African Paralympic champion, has been sentenced to six years in prison for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Thokozile Masipa, the judge, who presided over the case, convicted the sportsman for murder.

“It was a noble gesture of Pistorius to offer to do community service,” she held.

“But punishment is not what you choose to do. It ought to be painful. A long-term imprisonment will not serve justice.

“No sentence will please everyone. Nothing will bring back the deceased. The life of the accused will never be the same. He is a fallen hero … He cannot be at peace.”

She said she was not surprised to hear him described as a broken man.

She cited “a number of aggravating factors” in the case — including that Pistorius fired “not one but four” shots into the bathroom knowing there was someone inside.

However, she disagreed with the notion that Pistorius had failed to show remorse by noting that he had tried to apologise to the Steenkamp family.

She said nothing “can diminish the pain” felt by Steenkamp’s loved ones — but suggested “substantial and compelling” circumstances could justify deviating from the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years.

Pistorius has already served one year in jail over his previous conviction.

He is legally obliged to serve half of his new sentence in prison before being eligible for parole.

The six-time Paralympic gold medallist made history by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics, in 2012 in London, running on prosthetic “blades”.