Oscar Pistorius was slammed with doubled jail terms on Friday. From left: Carl Pistorius, Aimee Pistorius, and Oscar Pistorius. [Courtesy of Carl Pistorius / Facebook]
Oscar Pistorius, Paralympic double-amputee track star dubbed as Blade Runner, looked grieved after learning that his jail sentence doubled to 13 years and five months on November 24, 2017.
He was charged with premeditated murder of shooting his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, multiple times in his residence on 2013 Valentine's Day. Pistorius claimed that it was an unfortunate accident and he thought there was a burglar in his house. His defense team also said the shooting occurred as self-protection.
However, the prosecutors countered that his girlfriend was in his bathroom with a closed door, and the murder was more of an execution-style than a defensive move. The prosecutors affirmed that it did not make sense to feel threatened enough to shoot four times through a bathroom door when the door was closed. Steenkamp's lifeless body was found huddled behind the bathroom door in the pool of her own blood.
The family members of Steenkamp told the local media that the model and Pistorius had been arguing a lot before the shooting. This allegation affirmed prosecutors' claims that Pistorius premeditated the murder.
Pistorius and his family have been claiming his innocence. His family members told the press after first hearing that he grieved for Steenkamp and isolated himself.
Initially, he was acquitted of the murder charges but Steenkamp's family appealed to the higher South African Supreme Court. The news also brought a huge social media chain reactions shaming South African's legal system. After feeling a lot of pressure around the world, the court ruled that Pistorius guilty of Steenkamp murder and sentenced Pistorius to 13 years and 5 months in jail, doubling the previous sentence.
After the new sentence was announced on the news, Steenkamp's sister, Simone Cowburn, broke down in tears. She told DailyMail, a U.K. based news company, "It is what he deserved. He took my sister's life and he should get life in prison", and added, "This isn't going to bring Reeva back. Nothing will, but he needs to understand what he has done."
Pistorius' father expressed his shock and disbelief in his phone interview with MailOnline, "I am unbelievably surprised, disillusioned and very disappointed. There are many influences and role players in the execution of our South African law, which makes the country progressively more unpredictable and dangerous."
Pistorius' brother tweeted, "Shattered. Heartbroken. Gutted." upon learning the verdict.
Oscar Pistorius who turned 31 on Wednesday will now be transferred to Kgosi Mampuru II jail, a notorious maximum security jail that is overly crowded with violent gangs. He previously served a year in this facility and feared for his life.
Kwak, Min Jung = abiel@ajunews.com
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