Oscar
Pistorius has been sentenced to five years in prison for the
manslaughter of Reeva Steenkamp - but he could serve just 10 months in
jail before being held under house arrest.
Pistorius
killed his girlfriend in the early hours of Valentine's Day in 2013
when he shot Miss Steenkamp, who was 29, through the bathroom door at
his home in Pretoria.
Even
if the 27-year-old is released from prison early, the International
Paralympic Committee has confirmed he will not be permitted to compete
at any of their events for five years. This rules Pistorius out of
running at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics but he could return for
Tokyo 2020.
VIDEO Scroll down to watch moment Oscar Pistorius is given five-year prison sentence
South African police escort Oscar Pistorius (left) to prison in the back of an armoured vehicle
Pistorius is led to the police van after leaving the North Gauteng High Court to be taken to jail
Pistorius enters the armoured vehicle, which took him to Kgosi Mampuru II prison, formerly Pretoria Central
Pistorius steps into the police van after being sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison
The vehicle was heavily guarded as photographers clamoured to get pictures of the killer athlete
Pistorius is seen through the windows of the police van before his departure to prison
Pistorius pictured in November 2012 with girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who he shot dead in their home
Steenkamp was a law graduate who had a career as a model in South Africa
This
would change if Pistorius appealed against Judge Thokozile Masipa's
punishment and was handed a shorter sentence, but the IPC confirmed it
is currently impossible for the athlete to compete in Rio.
Craig Spence, spokesman for the IPC, said: ‘It’s five years, 2019 is where we stand on it.
‘The only way he could compete earlier is if he or his team appealed and got a lesser sentence.’
The
International Olympic Committee were more equivocal about Pistorius
being allowed to compete against able-bodied athletes in Rio in 2016 or
Tokyo four years later.
‘We
take note of the court’s decision,’ said IOC spokesman Mark Adams.
‘This is a human tragedy for the family of Reeva Steenkamp and also for
Oscar Pistorius. We hope very much that time will bring comfort to all
those concerned but at this stage we have no further comment to make.’
Pistorius’ selection would first need to be ratified by the IAAF – athletics’ world governing body – before reaching the IOC.
The
amputee athlete, known as the Blade Runner, stood staring straight
ahead as Judge Masipa announced his sentence for killing the model.
Pistorius always argued that he thought he was firing at intruders into
his home.
Pistorius stands in the dock as his sentence is delivered at the high court in Pretoria on Tuesday
The athlete turns to leave the dock after learning that he will serve a maximum of five years in prison
Pistorius touches the hands of family members after being sentenced - while holding a watch in his right hand
Pistorius hands the watch to his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, as he is led down to the cells of the court
The former Olympian and Paralympian leaves the court and heads down into the cells after his sentencing
Pistorius lets go of his family's hands and exits court. He is expected to be sent to jail later on Tuesday
Nothing except five white roses and a bucket remained at the dock where Pistorius had sat for the trial
The
judge handed down an immediate prison term for the charge of culpable
homicide - equivalent to manslaughter in the UK - saying she believed a
non-custodial sentence would 'send the wrong message to the community'.
Pistorius was driven to jail in an armoured police van, with tactical response guards hanging on.
He arrived at Pretoria Central prison, a little over a mile from the court, within minutes, driven in through a side entrance.
Last
year, the notorious prison was re-named the Kgosi Mampuru II after a
chief who was hanged at the prison in 1883 after being wrongly accused
of murder.
Judge
Masipa also sentenced Pistorius to three years in prison for unlawfully
firing a gun in a restaurant in a separate incident weeks before Miss
Steenkamp's death. She ordered that sentence to be wholly suspended.
After
Pistorius was asked to stand by Judge Masipa, he quickly removed his
designer watch from his wrist and held it behind his back as she told
him he was going to jail. He passed the watch to his uncle as he
descended into the bowels of the court to the holding cells.
Pistorius
had every reason to not want to take the timepiece into the notorious
prison. During his murder trial the court had heard how a watch worth
£6,000 had been stolen from a display case holding eight designer
watches in the athlete’s bedroom, even as crime scene officers were
gathering blood spatter and other forensic evidence nearby.
The
theft prompted every officer at the scene to be frisked and have their
bags and vehicles to be searched when they left Pistorius’ property. The
watch was never recovered.
A
member of the athlete's legal team claimed after the hearing that he is
expected to serve a sixth of the sentence - around 10 months - in jail
before being held under house arrest.
According
to the legal Act under which Pistorius was sentenced, he must spend at
least one-sixth of his sentence before he can apply for leave to serve
the rest under 'correctional supervision'.
The
athlete appeared to have prepared himself to spend some time behind
bars, while his uncle Arnold Pistorius, the head of the large family,
said there would be no appeal against the sentence.
The 'Blade Runner' made history at London 2012 by becoming the first amputee to run at the Olympic Games
Pistorius runs during the 100m T44 round 1 at the 2012 Paralympics at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford
VIDEO Oscar Pistorius jailed for five years
Arnold Pistorius also said outside court: 'This has been an incredibly hard, painful process for everyone involved.
'It has been a harrowing 20 months. We are all emotionally drained and exhausted.
'The
case, set down for three weeks originally, has been dragged out for
seven months. In fact, for 20 months since the bail application.'
He hit out at the prosecution case.
'We
said from the beginning that the state tried to force a puzzle into a
position of pre-meditated murder,' he said. 'When they realised the fact
that it didn't fit, they changed this case to a mosaic when everything
can opportunistically fit everywhere.
'One
of the most distressing parts for me of this whole trial was how the
truth became totally irrelevant for the state's attempt to make
pre-meditated murder fit.'
He said the family accepted the sentence.
'Oscar will embrace this opportunity to pay back to society.'
He
added: 'As a last word I want to say something as an uncle. I hope
Oscar will start his own healing process as he walks down the path of
restoration.
'As a family, we are ready to support and guide Oscar as he serves his sentence.'
As
Pistorius was led down to the cells, Miss Steenkamp's mother, June,
smiled as she told of a sense of 'closure' after a seventh-month trial,
but said it 'would not magic Reeva back.'
The
model's ailing father, who suffered a stroke after his daughter's
death, said he was 'very glad' the trial was over. A lawyer for the
family said the sentence was 'welcome'.
The
runner's sister Aimee briefly covered her head with a jacket and looked
distressed. His family said he would not appeal the sentence.
Kim Martin, Reeva Steenkamp's cousin who had given emotional testimony earlier in the hearing, was asked about the sentence
'I
think at the moment we're all very overwhelemed with everything that's
gone,' she said. 'I dont think we've had the opportunity to take things
in at present.
'As my sister said nothing will ever bring her back. We're just very very overwhelmed.'
Sisters
Gina and Kim Myers, who lived with Miss Steenkamp in Johannesburg said
nothing would bring the model back no matter how harsh the sentence.
Gina Myers told MailOnline:
'Today is about justice. We believe that today is just one step closer
to healing for the family and friends and for the rest of the world.'
Kim Myers added: 'Nothing is ever going to completely heal everybody. It is just one step closer.'
Pistorius poses for a picture taken by Sportsmail's Andy Hooper in Pretoria in February 2012
Sportsmail visited Pistorius for an interview at his home in South Africa a year before he killed Steenkamp
The Olympian and Paralympian sits in his house during Sportsmail's interview 12 months before the tragedy
Pistorius takes a break from training in February 2012 to pose for this portrait by Andy Hooper
Pistorius's
brother, Carl, posted an emotional tweet along with a picture of him
and Oscar as children. He said: 'Together in Christ we are STRONG, in
Christ there can never be defeat.'
In
another tweet, he said: 'May God gives (sic) you grace so that your
salvation might be built up and not broken - regardless of the
circumstance. #Hiswordwillnotreturnvoid'.
The
Paralympian could have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison,
handed a community-based punishment and a fine or house arrest for
shooting the model through a toilet cubicle door in his home.
More
than seven months after Pistorius's trial started, Judge Masipa
announced the punishment she had decided on after finding him guilty of
manslaughter but acquitting him of murder.
Pistorius
was asked by the judge to remain seated on a wooden bench in the
Pretoria courtroom until she formally announced his sentence. He sat and
looked straight ahead at Masipa as she read from her judgment.
VIDEO Watch an early photoshoot of Reeva Steenkamp and her mother's reaction at court
Before
delivering the sentencing, Masipa spoke of achieving the 'right
balance', including the interests of society, but admitted that reaching
a 'proper sentence' was a 'challenge'.
The
judge was at pains to point out that South African prisons were
'equipped' to house a double amputee, and added: 'The accused has shown
he has excellent coping skills'.
The
courtroom was packed for the culmination of a case that has attracted
intense scrutiny around the world. Interest was heightened by a ruling
allowing some parts to be screened live on television.
Police officers stood guard in the aisles, while Ms Steenkamp's family watched from the public gallery.
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