Thursday 16 June 2016

Pistorius walks on stumps to show court his disability and attract leniency as court allows photos of his victim public

The former Olympic athlete was on his stumps when he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a door at his home in 2013, and his defence made much of his vulnerability. The hearing in Pretoria was called after a court convicted him of murder, overturning a manslaughter verdict.
Pistorius will be sentenced on 6 July.
The six-time Paralympic gold medallist, whose legs were amputated below the knee as a baby, made history by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics in 2012, running on prosthetic "blades".
Judge Thokozile Masipa also has granted permission for the crime scene photos to be made public - a request made by Ms Steenkamp's father, who gave emotional testimony on Tuesday, saying Pistorius should pay for killing his daughter.
On Wednesday, the Pretoria High court heard testimony from Ms Steenkamp's cousin Kim Martin, who said the victim had not loved Pistorius though she had been fond of him.
The athlete's defence team had argued that he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder.
The double amputee faces a jail term of 15 years but it may be reduced due to time already spent in prison and mitigating factors.

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