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South Africa: Oscar Pistorius found guilty of culpable homicide
The sentence for a culpable homicide conviction is at the judge’s discretion, and it can range from a suspended sentence and a fine to up to a maximum of 15 years in prison. Sentencing was expected to be announced at a later date.
The judge also ruled that Pistorius was guilty of unlawfully firing a gun in a public place when a friend’s pistol he was handling discharged under a table in a restaurant in Johannesburg in early 2013 – weeks before Steenkamp’s killing.
He was acquitted on 2 other weapons charges, including a count of firing a gun in public and a count of illegal possession of ammunition in the Pretoria home where he killed Steenkamp.
Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp in his home in the pre-dawn hours of February 14, 2013. He said he mistook her for an intruder, while the prosecution said he killed her intentionally after an argument.
On Friday, armed security officers stood at each of the three entrances to the courtroom, while others stood near Judge Masipa as she explained her verdicts from her dais overlooking the court.
Source: Associated Press
