{"id":56149,"date":"2014-10-14T06:53:51","date_gmt":"2014-10-14T06:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=56149"},"modified":"2014-10-14T06:53:51","modified_gmt":"2014-10-14T06:53:51","slug":"oscar-pistorius-trial-pre-sentencing-hearing-to-resume","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/10\/oscar-pistorius-trial-pre-sentencing-hearing-to-resume\/","title":{"rendered":"Oscar Pistorius trial: Pre-sentencing hearing to resume"},"content":{"rendered":"
Oscar Pistorius will return to court on Tuesday for a second day of sentencing arguments over whether he should face prison for killing his girlfriend.<\/p>\n
On Monday, prosecutor Gerrie Nel was angered by a probation officer’s call for the South African to only serve house arrest and community service.<\/p>\n
Mr Nel labelled the suggestion as a “shockingly inappropriate” punishment.<\/p>\n
The athlete was found guilty of the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp last month – but was cleared of murder.<\/p>\n
Pistorius faces up to 15 years in jail, although Judge Thokozile Masipa may suspend the sentence or impose a fine.<\/p>\n
She said the athlete had acted “negligently” when he shot his girlfriend through a toilet door, but had genuinely thought her to be an intruder.<\/p>\n
The sentencing hearing is expected to last several days, with lawyers for Pistorius hoping they can prevent a jail sentence.<\/p>\n
At the hearing on Monday, Joel Maringa, a prison service officer summoned by the defence, said Pistorius should perform community service and receive three years of house arrest rather than imprisonment.<\/p>\n
“The accused will benefit from correctional supervision,” Mr Maringa said, adding that this will give him an “opportunity to restructure and modify his behaviour”.<\/p>\n
But Mr Nel rounded on Mr Maringa, questioning whether he understood the gravity of the crime since his suggested punishment would amount to “no sentence”.<\/p>\n
Ms Steenkamp’s father, Barry, held his head in his hands as Mr Maringa spoke, while her friends shook their heads in disbelief.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Credit: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Oscar Pistorius will return to court on Tuesday for a second day of sentencing arguments over whether he should face prison for killing his girlfriend. On Monday, prosecutor Gerrie Nel was angered by a probation officer’s call for the South African to only serve house arrest and community service. Mr Nel labelled the suggestion as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":28346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[38,14],"yoast_head":"\n