Oscar Pistorius parole

Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to six years in prison

Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to six years in prison for murdering Reeva Steenkamp.

Oscar Pistorius parole

Judge Masipa has sentenced murder-convicted Oscar Pistorius to six years in prison, saying his murder trial had many mitigating factors.

She said there were “substantial and compelling reasons” to deviate from the 15-year minimum sentence for murder, citing as one factor the continuing misperception that Pistorius had intended to kill his girlfriend, The Guardian reported.

“The life of the accused also has changed forever. Recovery is possible. It will depend mostly on the accused’s attitude of the punishment imposed on him,” said Masipa during the handing down of the sentencing.

Pistorius had offered to “do community” service and while Masipa said this was a “noble gesture” punishment is not something you “choose to do”.

“It is something that is imposed on you. By it’s nature it is unpleasant, uncomfortable and painful,” the judge said.

Masipa also said:

“A long term of imprisonment will not serve justice in this matter. The accused has already served 12 months, he is a first offender and he is not likely to re-offend.”

The judge also disagreed with the state’s suggestion that Pistorius wasn’t remorseful, saying that the accused had “previously and unsuccessfully” tried to contact the Steenkamp family privately, more than once. She interprets this as undermining any notion that he apologised as a “ploy”. She says he would only persist in his efforts to apologise to the family because “he was genuinely remorseful”.