Daijiworld Media Network
Pretoria, Sep 12: Olympic winner Oscar Pistorius, today heard Judge Masipa's complete verdict and learnt that he was acquitted on the charge of murdering his girlfriend, but was held guilty of culpable homicide for firing arms at a public place.
On trial for shooting at his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp (29), Mr. Pistorius (27), had also been charged with shooting from his open roof car as well as from under a table at a restaurant called Tashas. Judge Masipa said that in the case of Reeva's death, the accused had 'acted hastily and with excessive force', but she did believe that he had shot thinking it was an intruder and not deliberately knowing that it was his girlfriend. The Judge further said that the prosecution had presented no irrefutable proof and two of their witnesses had been inconsistent.
Pistorius on the other hand, although taciturn under harsh questioning had stuck to his statement that he had fired the shots believing it to be an intruder. She found no reason to not believe his intentions in the matter. At the same time, Judge Masipa said that his actions were not those of a reasonable man because any other person, might call security or at least their neighbours for help rather than shoot at a supposed intruder. Therefore she gave her verdict of Pistorius being convicted of culpable homicide. Culpable homicide in South African courts is a charge of 'guilty though unintentional killing'.
On the charges of shooting in public, the judge found the witnesses unreliable and acquitted the accused. She also acquitted Pistorius of carrying unlicensed firearms, but convicted him on the charge of discharging a firearm in a restaurant called Tashas. Witnesses had testified that he had been warned about carrying his loaded gun into the restaurant and the Judge believed the accused had fired the gun from under the table as told by many who had been present at the time in the restaurant. She convicted him on this charge too.
The sentence for culpable homicide is anywhere between ten to fifteen years with 15 being the maximum jail term. The sentencing of Mr. Pistorius is to be next week.
The double amputee Paralympics champion stood with his hands before him, staring stoically as he received the verdict. Ms Steenkamps family were seen to be sitting and talking amongst themselves quietly. They had fought the case with the firm conviction that Mr. Pisotrius had deliberately shot at Reeva as a consequence of his own volatile nature boosted by a fight that the couple allegedly had in the early hours of the day she died.