A justice from South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal took just minutes to more than double Oscar Pistorius’ prison sentence to 13 years and five months for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Justice Willie Seriti said the Supreme Court upheld an appeal by prosecutors against Pistorius’ original six-year sentence for shooting Steenkamp multiple times in his home in 2013.
It’s rare for the Supreme Court to change the sentences handed down by trial judges so dramatically.
“I did not expect the Supreme Court of Appeal to hand down such a lengthy sentence of imprisonment,” legal analyst Ulrich Roux said on the eNCA news channel. “But, if one looks at what the law states, and given the fact that murder does carry the minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, I think the decision could be vindicated.”
The SCA has increased Oscar Pistorius sentence to 13 years & 5 months ONLY behind bars for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. #OscarPistorius pic.twitter.com/uwyI60BwCl
— Man's Not Barry Roux (@AdvBarryRoux) November 24, 2017
Pistorius’ lawyers have just one avenue open to them if they want to challenge the new sentence handed down by the Supreme Court, and that is to appeal to the Constitutional Court, the highest court in South Africa.
[contentcards url=”http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/11/24/olympic-sprinter-oscar-pistorius-prison-sentence-more-than-doubled-to-13-years-5-months.html” target=”_blank”]