Oscar Pistorius is set to appear at the Pretoria High Court in less than month following deliberations of both camps regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of model Reeva Steenkamp. The Paralympian was slapped with murder charges for fatally shooting the South African beauty on Valentine's Day last year.
There are several possibilities on how presiding judge Thokozile Matilde Masipa, with the aid of her two assessors, will rule on the case:
Premaditated Murder
Several reports have said that Pistorius purportedly planned on murdering Steenkamp beforehand. Mirror also said that five neighbors have claimed that they have heard a loud argument coming from the athlete's home on the night of the crime. Moreover, all five, who have provided testimonies at the trial, have stated that they have heard a sound of a woman screaming before the shots came.
Should Pistorius be found guilty of premeditated murder, he wouldl be imprisoned for 25 years. However, the years of his stay may be decreased for good behavior inside the prison.
Culpable Homicide
Pistorius' team has submitted a defense that the athlete did not intentionally kill his girlfriend. According to him, he thought an intruder was standing behind the bathroom door. Pistorius claimed that the shooting was an accident as a result of his paranoia of the presence of a purported intruder. In certain cases, being highly sensitive in the presence of an intruder and the potential shooting of a firearm is regarded as a justified action. According to OSAC or the Overseas Security Advisory Council, The Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security considers Pretoria along with Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban as areas where crime threat is of critical level.
On the other hand, state prosecutor Gerrie Nel once said that Pistorius must have been vigilant and knowledgeable of his girlfriend's whereabouts and an intruder would not be locking himself up inside the bathroom. Citing evidence, Nel told Reuters, "Why, did Pistorius not find out who was in the toilet before firing four 9mm hollow-point rounds? And why did Reeva Steenkamp not let him know she was there?"
Criminal defense attorney Barry Slotnick, who is not attached to the case, told International Business Times. "The fact that the defendant testified is a large piece of evidence that stands out, and will go one way or another in his favor or out of it. He may have caused his own conviction by taking the witness stand."
Not guilty of all charges
Apart from the murder charges, Pistorius was also charged of illegal ammunition and discharging firearms in public. If the court decides to overlook inconsistencies in the athlete's changing defense claim and appeals more to his obvious grief to the loss of his girlfriend and declares him not guilty, it is no doubt that the Paralympian will get a more cruel punishment from the public. If he does manage to escape jail time for his purported crime, there can be no doubt that the man once acclaimed as the Blade Runner could have a rosy future ahead thanks to this case, Bustle said.
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