Johannesburg, South Africa – South Africa’s top court has denied on Thursday to athlete Oscar Pistorius his last chance to appeal against his conviction for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Now, the Olympic sprinter will face a possible sentence of minimum 15-year in prison on March 18.
After three years of fighting, Pistorius has lost his final opportunity as the Constitutional Court dismissed his appeal claiming lack of prospects of success.
Marius du Toit, Pistorius’ defense attorney said that this decision was the end of the road for Oscar, he added the murder conviction will stand and there is nothing that he could do to change that. Pistorius had filed papers to appeal against his conviction at the Constitutional Court on January 11.
“One cannot appeal based on all of the same facts. We received a letter from the Concourt that Pistorius has been denied to appeal and we welcome that decision”. National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Advocate Luvuyo Mfaku told media about the court’s decision.
The victim’s parents commented on the local news after the new updates in the case that the law must take its course.
Pistorius journey in court
Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day in 2013 when he allegedly misidentified her for a burglar inside his house.
In early December 2014, Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide of Steenkamp in the Pretoria High Court. But later that sentence was replaced by a murder conviction in December by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal, which stated the original court did not apply the law correctly.
Judge Eric Leach said at the moment that he must have foreseen and, therefore, did foresee that the person he was firing at behind the door might be fatally injured.
As a result, state prosecutors said the verdict of culpable homicide had been appealed seeking a conviction on more severe charges.
The athlete, nicknamed “Blade Runner” because of the J-shaped prosthetic lower legs he uses to race has spent the last few months under house arrest at his uncle’s home in Pretoria while awaiting his appeal.
Source: LA Times