Update | Oscar Pistorius, convicted of culpable homicide, may face more than 10 years in jail
Paralympian could be jailed for more than 10 years for Valentine's Day killing of girlfriend; verdict surprises many, and state could appeal
Oscar Pistorius was yesterday found guilty of culpable homicide for shooting dead his girlfriend and could face a lengthy jail term, in a case that has brought the Paralympian's career to a shuddering halt.
Pistorius, known as Blade Runner for the prosthetic legs that powered him to fame, was acquitted of murder, but South African judge Thokozile Masipa said he had acted "negligently" in killing Reeva Steenkamp.
The judge agreed to release Pistorius on bail pending a sentencing hearing, which will begin on October 13.
His trial heard that in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year, Pistorius fired four hollow point bullets through a locked toilet door, causing Steenkamp's head to "explode" and "amputating" the law graduate's arm.
Dismissing swathes of state evidence as inconclusive or irrelevant, Masipa ruled that on the charge of murder "the accused is found not guilty and is discharged, instead he is found guilty of culpable homicide".
