Oscar Pistorius sentenced to six years in prison

Disgraced Olympian Oscar Pistorius received a six-year sentence in a South African court, after a protracted legal battle. The double-amputee was accused of murdering his girlfriend, model and TV star Reeva Steenkamp, early on morning of Feb. 14, 2013. He fired four bullets through the closed door of his bathroom, claiming he felt threatened and thought it was an intruder, when in fact it was Steenkamp. Prosecutors argued that the couple were fighting leading up to the shooting and that Pistorius was motivated by rage and not fear.

Pistorius became a barrier-breaking athlete and cultural hero first as a Paralympic track champion, and then after fighting for the right to run as an amputee in the 2012 Olympics. His critics claimed that his carbon-fibre blades actually gave the “Bladerunner” an advantage. He placed last in his semifinal heat in the 800m in London, but won three medals in the Paralympic Games immediately after the Olympics.

Prosecutors were seeking a 15-year sentence. Pistorius has already spent roughly a year in prison for his previous manslaughter conviction, along with time in house arrest. That time served will not count towards his new sentence, under South African law. Pistorius will be able to apply for parole in three years.

Steenkamp’s family did not criticize the court’s sentencing. “The family has said it before they wanted the law to run its course. It has done so. No further comment. They will keep a dignified silence,” Dup de Bruyn, a Steenkamp family spokesperson, said after the ruling.