JOHANESSBURG: South African world famous athlete Oscar Pistorius’ conviction for killing his girlfriend has been changed from manslaughter to murder.
An appeals judge said the verdict was “confusing and flawed” and the athlete will now be re-sentenced by the original court and will almost certainly go back to jail.
A murder conviction carries a much heftier sentence: a minimum of 15 years in South Africa.
Justice Leach said Pistorius must have foreseen that firing into the toilet would have killed whoever was inside – but went ahead anyway.
Reeva Steenkamp’s mother, June, closed her eyes but remained silent as the decision was read out in the Bloemfontein court.
The athlete was not in court and is currently under house arrest at his uncle’s luxurious home after serving less than a year for killing his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day 2013.
Pistorius had said he accidentally shot dead Ms Steenkamp after believing there was an intruder in his house.
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