The Paralympic gold medalist was acquitted of murder last month
Athlete Oscar Pistorius was sentenced Tuesday to five years imprisonment for the Valentine’s Day killing of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The 27-year-old double-amputee was found guilty of culpable homicide after shooting Steenkamp through the toilet door of his home in Pretoria on Feb. 14, 2013.
The “Blade Runner,” as Pistorius is known due to his trademark prosthetic limbs, claims he thought an intruder lurked inside, but the state maintained that he shot four times with the intention of killing Steenkamp after the couple had argued.
The South African was acquitted of murder by Judge Thokozile Masipa last month after a high-profile trial that was televised around the world.
In sentencing Pistorius, Masipa said she weighed, “The personal circumstances of the accused and interests of society.”
She added: “A non-custodial sentence would send the wrong message to the community, but a long sentence would also not be appropriate.”
Pistorius made history as the first Paralympian to compete against able-bodied athletes at the 2012 London Olympics. He has apparently been suffering from depression since Steenkamp’s death.
A separate firearms charge received three years imprisonment, suspended for five years.
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