OSCAR PISTORIUS FOUND NOT GUILTY OF MURDER

By: San

Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympic athlete was cleared today of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius had been accused of deliberately shooting the 30-year-old model during a furious row at his Pretoria home on Valentine's Day last year.

Pistorius sobbing.

Pistorius sat sobbing with tears streaming down his cheeks in the court room as the judge delivered her not guilty verdicts for murder and pre-meditated murder.

But he had always maintained  during his trial that he shot Reeva Steenkamp in self-defence after mistaking her for an intruder.

Reeva (left) and Pistorius

Judge Masipa told the Pretoria High Court that, 'the state has not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of pre-meditated murder'. She also added that, 'there are just not enough facts to support such a finding.' She then proceeded to absolve Pistorius of the lesser charge of murder without pre-planning.

Judge Masipa has yet to decide on a lesser charge of culpable homicide which similar to manslaughter.

 

Judge Masipa

In reaching her decision, Judge Masipa had to weigh Pistorius's claim that he shot Miss Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder and the prosecution's allegation that the runner intentionally murdered her after a row.

There are possibilities to be arguments if and when sentence is handed down and, most likely, an appeal to the higher court.

If acquitted of murder, a potential lesser charge of culpable homicide which is comparable to manslaughter would carry a sentence of about 15 years.