Oscar Pistorius, South African Paralympic gold medallist has been sentenced to six years for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The murder that took place in Oscar's home three years ago has been one of the murders talked about around the world.
The state had recommended a 15-years jail term for Oscar, but High Court Judge Thokozile Masipa had listed different mitigating factors for sentencing him less than that. The Paralympian hugged his family before being taken out of the court to start his sentence.
"Public opinion may be loud and persistent, but it can play no role in the decision of this court," Judge Masipa, who heard the original trial, said in her ruling.
"Pistorius will serve "between half and two-thirds of the sentence" before he can apply for parole, Pistorius' instructing attorney, Andrew Fawcett, said.
Oscar Pistorius team would not be appealing the sentence, but the state could launch a final appeal for against the length of the prison term.
Oscar was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, Steenkamp, in the early hours of Valentine in 2013, and he said he had thought she was a burglar and shot through the door of his bathroom toilet four times.
He pleaded not guilty during his trial in 2014, and denied killing her in rage, claiming he was only trying to protect her.
The Supreme court ruled he was guilty of murder, irrespective who he had thought was behind the door, when he opened fire with a high calibre pistol that he had kept under his bed.
The athlete had the lower part of his legs amputated when he was a baby and his lawyers have argued that his disability and mental stress should be considered as mitigating circumstances to reduce his sentence.
