Pistorius

Yes heard that this morning. Can he appeal?

South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the lower court did not correctly apply the rule of dolus eventualis - whether Pistorius knew that a death would be a likely result of his actions.

I failed to understand how it wasn't murder first time round so hopefully he'll be locked away for a very long time.

Justice at last for Reena and her family.

Good thing too. I don't believe for one minute he didn't know exactly what he was doing.

Actually, he won't get a new sentence until the New Year so he's still free, if you consider under house arrest free. He should have been charged with murder in the first place and this 'freeing' and then changing the charge and having to wait and presumably being returned to prison is a bit of a travesty of justice. If it were here, he'd cry 'human rights' and have the whole lot overturned with a pat on the back...do they have human rights in South Africa?

As in trying to kill someone. mmm.

Whether it's officially manslaughter or murder he deserves to serve at least 20 years in prison.

It always seemed patently obvious to me that he was guilty as hell. The trial was so long drawn out and so detailed, I never understood how on earth they could have given the manslaughter verdict. Smacked of corruption

Unless we were actually there it is very difficult to know what really happened; but shooting four times into a locked bathroom knowing that someone (whoever?) was in there seems pretty well like intent to me. But I guess he might claim self-defence as he says he thought it was an intruder, although that seems a bit thin. He knew his GF was in the house (and presumably knew she was in the loo); and if he thought it was an intruder, then four shots at a captive individual seems a bit OTT.

Murder it is then....... what a sad scenario after he had overcome his disabilities to such a spectacular degree.

Sorry, my post might sound as if I'm sympathetic towards him. Not in the least...deserves the murder conviction and a long sentence. Just think the way it's been handled is laughable.

This whole 'trial' was an absolute travesty and if he had been a black athlete his feet would not have touched the ground going to jail. He only stayed out of jail because he is who he is.

When you are in bed with someone and you wake up and that beds empty - what do you do? I always shout out and ask my other half is he in loo or everything ok etc. That girl was staying the night, he thought someone was in the house but he was more concerned for HIS OWN SAFETY? It never occurred to him that Reeva was somewhere in the house? Utter rubbish! Then all the arguing the neighbours heard. Something was not right.

The strange thing is, years ago at the height of his fame, I NEVER liked that man, always thought he was arrogant, conceited and had a terrible attitude to other athletes. As for all the weeping in the court etc. he should have got an Oscar. That trial was all about - HIM. Poor Reeva was very much forgotten apart from her poor family who had to sit through that charade. I have a daughter myself, not far off Reeva's age and I cannot imagine what her family and friends must have gone through to have him waltz off at the end of it. I'm glad if there has been justice for Reeva and her family and friends.

Totally agree with you, Cher. If you wake up in the night and your partner is not there you assume they are in the loo. You do not, therefore, pick up your shotgun and fire it at the loo door FOUR times, or even once.

The only thing I can think of in his defence is that without his blades he must be only something like 4 feet tall and so felt very vulnerable. Perhaps in those circumstances, thinking there may be an intruder, you would act first and think later. Even so, it's a weird reaction unless he forgot the GF was staying the night.

RIP Reena.

Her parents were able to control their grief to have photo shoots for a magazine posing where they had scattered the poor girls ashes, they also accepted money from the man who killed her for loss of her earnings. They did give money back when they sold their book. I am sorry their daughter died and am sure they are distressed but making money from her death ? No

The law in South Africa is Roman Dutch, very different from the justice system here in the UK.
There is no jury system only a judge who hears the evidence and hands down the verdict and sentence. In this case this was revised by the Supreme Court of Appeal who has now found Pistorius guilty of murder and ordered that the trial court, which had wrongly convicted him of the lesser charge of culpable homicide, set an appropriate sentence.

The appeal court, in a unanimous judgment, found that the Pretoria High Court had erred in its application of the legal principle of dolus eventualis, and that Pistorius had clearly foreseen that he could kill somebody when he fired four shots into a locked toilet door in 2013, fatally injuring his girlfriend Reeva.

Justice has finally been done and he will serve an appropriate sentence in jail, not under house arrest in his uncle's luxury home in Pretoria!

Just know this will come out so wrong .

I don't believe his defence and I think yes murder, but he must be a deeply disturbed man and dif be use steroids or iligal substances. No doubt he had a troubled life and had to fight hard to get to the top, possibly his tears were genuine , hit out in anger then suffer remorse

It just goes to show that continually telling your children they are absolutely fantastic and putting them on a pedestal does not good whatsoever. Yes, encourage them, disability or not, love them, obviously, but do not make them think that they are above the law and can do whatever they want to whoever they please.

no good sorry, tired.

The cocktail of steroids, availability of guns, lifelong disability and the incredible level of paranoia about breakins in South Africa was a recipe for disaster. Suddenly jerking awake, hyperaroused, grabbing gun and acting in a nanosecond? Manslaughter.

Can he appeal? This is the appeal by the prosecution

The right verdict this time I think.
If you have an OH and you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, would you lock the door?
I doubt it. There was a reason why she locked herself in the bathroom.

hit out in anger then suffer remorse
He hasn't looked particularly remorseful anniebach, more intent on saving his own skin with some crocodile tears.
And, even if he is remorseful, justice has to be done.
I thought Riva's family was very dignified; perhaps they had pictures taken because they didn't believe the right verdict had been reached and wanted publicity and consequent proper justice for their child.
I certainly would not rest if it was my daughter until the perpetrator served an appropriate sentence.

Said on the radio that the only higher court would be the constitutional court, which is unlikely to be of any use to him.

I really can't understand how it could be deemed to be manslaughter, even if he had not known it was his girlfriend - and I found that difficult to believe. He shot several times through the door and would surely have known than whoever was behind it would be grievously injured or dead.

I thought it was ridiculous he was let out so soon and I'm glad that this seems to have been rectified - but it does seem a bit of a mess up to me.

They were presumably sharing a bed.
He must have known she was not beside him in bed.
She was in the bathroom with the door locked.
Anyone would check where their OH was before blasting off with a gun.

QED

I've always thought that his story was totally dodgy. Of course it was murder.
If you do the crime, you serve the time...However a little part of me agrees with the thing about him being a troubled soul.

Rosequartz, yes parents want justice but Hello magazine photoshoots ?