Encomium
South African blade runner, Oscar Pitorious, will learn his fate in the trial over the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Thursday (September 11).
The Paralympian tweeted a message of thanks to supporters last month. He wrote: “Thank you to my loved ones and those that have been there for me, who have picked me up and helped me through everything.”
There are four possible verdicts open to Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa, there are: ‘not guilty’ – being the one the athlete will be hoping for; ‘premeditated murder’ – which carries a life sentence and the accused not being eligible for parole before 25 years; ‘murder’ – if convicted he would face 15 years in prison; and lastly ‘culpable homicide’ – this carries no minimum sentence and it is possible that in this case the defendant would escape jail all together.
