As the Oscar Pistorius trial comes to a close, we’ve finally received a verdict from Judge Masipa- the Paralympian has been found guilty of culpable homicide. According to Sapa, she said, “Evidential material before this court… shows that the accused acted negligently when he fired into the toilet door, knowing there was someone behind the door.
“It cannot be said that the accused did not entertain a genuine belief that there was an intruder in the toilet who posed a threat to him…
“It could not be said that he foresaw that either the deceased or anyone else for that matter might be killed when he fired the shots at that door.”
Culpable homicide, in layman’s terms is ‘negligence’ and carries with it a potential jail term of 15 years or custodial sentence/no prison. This will all be down to the Judge’s discretion.
Pistorius has also been acquitted of charges of the illegal possession of ammunition and the illegal discharge of a firearm in a public place.
He was, however, found guilty of the illegal discharge of a firearm in Tashas restaurant in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, in 2013.
