Oscar Pistorius sentenced to 5 years in jail

Olympic and Paralympic South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison earlier today in Pretoria, though there are chances he serves less than one year of the sentence jailed.

Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide of his then-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp after firing a pistol through his bathroom door while she was inside early in the morning of Valentine’s Day, 2013.

The defense argued Pistorius should be sentenced to house arrest because of his vulnerabilities as a result of being a double amputee. He is expected to serve his sentence in the hospital wing of Pretoria Central Prison. He also sentenced to surrender his firearms and licences for other firearm-related charges.

The sprinter could serve less than a year in prison because of the possibility that, after one sixth of his sentenced is served he could be eligible to be moved to house arrest after consultation with correctional authorities.

The Pistorius family reportedly told journalists in Pretoria they do not intend to appeal the sentence.

The sentence brings to a close, for the time being, a highly-publicized and drawn-out trial that attracted worldwide.