Oscar Pistorius‘ dramatic trial has finally come to a verdict. The Paralympic athlete has been found guilty of culpable homicide, or manslaughter.
Following Judge Thokozile Masipa’s judgment on Thursday, which saw Pistorius manage to avoid the maximum 25-year prison sentence for premeditated murder and a lesser 15-year sentence for murder, he has now been found guilty of the the lesser charge of culpable homicide, which is the South African equivalent of manslaughter.
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Pistorius managed to control his composure and stood silently as he listened to the verdict at the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, on Friday morning.
Pistorius was on trial for fatally shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013, which he claimed was all a terrible mistake. Judge Masipa agreed that the fatal shooting was, in fact, a mistake as she claimed the evidence to suggest he murdered Steenkamp was “clearly circumstantial.”
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Pistorius also was found guilty on one firearms charge, of firing a gun in a restaurant. However, he was acquitted on two other gun charges.
Court has now adjourned until Oct. 13, and the athlete’s sentencing will take place then.
Sky correspondent Alex Crawford recapped the case via Twitter.
#PistoriusTrial So to recap: OP out on bail and he waits until October 13 for arguments around his sentencing and whether he'll go to jail
— Alex Crawford (@AlexCrawfordSky) September 12, 2014
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There is no prescribed sentence for culpable homicide in South African law, but the maximum sentence Pistorius could face for culpable homicide is 15 years in prison, with another five more for an unrelated charge of discharging a firearm in public, according to the Telegraph.
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