News / Local
Oscar Pistorius guilty of murder
03 Dec 2015 at 08:57hrs | Views
The South African Supreme Court of Appeal has replaced Oscar Pistorius's culpable homicide conviction with murder, ruling that he should have foreseen the deadly impact his four bullets would have in a small bathroom.
"He fired four shots through the door and he never offered an acceptable explanation... he fired not one, but four shots... that is exactly what the accused did," said Justice Eric Leach.
"I have no doubt that in firing the fatal shots, the accused... did foresee that whoever was behind that toilet door might die."
He is guilty of murder and the matter is referred back to trial court to decide sentencing.
Leach told a packed court it was a unanimous judgment that he should be found guilty of murdering his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
He described the High Court ruling finding Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide as a "fundamental error".
"The trial misdirected itself as to the appropriate issue," said Leach.
He said the trial court made an error in law in applying the principles of dolus eventualis (perpetrators forseeing the risk of death occurring but nevertheless proceeds with the act).
"He fired four shots through the door and he never offered an acceptable explanation... he fired not one, but four shots... that is exactly what the accused did," said Justice Eric Leach.
"I have no doubt that in firing the fatal shots, the accused... did foresee that whoever was behind that toilet door might die."
He is guilty of murder and the matter is referred back to trial court to decide sentencing.
He described the High Court ruling finding Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide as a "fundamental error".
"The trial misdirected itself as to the appropriate issue," said Leach.
He said the trial court made an error in law in applying the principles of dolus eventualis (perpetrators forseeing the risk of death occurring but nevertheless proceeds with the act).
Source - online
