Double-amputee Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius faces arrest warrant one day after the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the charges of manslaughter by a lower court to murder for killing magazine-model and law graduate girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14, 2013.
Pistorius said he had mistaken his girlfriend to an intruder and shot four times through a locked bathroom of the bedroom.
The Supreme Court of Appeal said on Thursday someone in the locked bathroom would die if he open fire. This was legal error and hence considered as murder instead of reckless killing as earlier convicted.
According to Lorimer Eric Leach, it is regardless whom the athlete thought was behind the door, but he should know shooting would kill the person.
Law in South Africa says if a person foresaw the possibility of someone dying through his or her actions and even then the actions were taken, a person can be convicted of murder.
The lower court sentenced his five-year prison for the charges of reckless killing. After the murder charges he may face at least 15-year prison, as defined by South African law.
Pistorius has completed about a year of his sentence in prison. Currently he is under house arrest.
Steenkamp’s father said the judgement was fair. He added, “Let us now all get on with our lives… I’m sure she’ll be able to rest as well now.”
Both the legs of the 29-year-old athlete were amputated when he was just 11 months old as he was born without fibula bones from a congenital defect.