South Africa prosecuting authority’s in the Appeal Court today (Wednesday) trying to get a longer prison sentence for Oscar Pistorius who murdered his model lover Reeva Steenkamp in 2013
The paralympic star was sentenced to six years when the lesser sentence for culpable homicide was overturned by the Appeal Court in July 2016 and replaced by murder.
The state’s case will be argued by Andrea Johnson. She was the assistant to Gerrie Nel who became a household name for his aggressive prosecution of Oscar Pistorius.
Nel, who now works for a right wing pressure group used the phrase “shockingly low” for the five year sentence handed down when Pistorius was found guilty of the South African equivalent of manslaughter.
Nel was still with the prosecution service when the Appeal Court found Pistorius guilty of murder and ordered the trial judge Thokozile Masipa to re-sentence him.
He baulked at the judge sending Pistorius down for six years.
Johnson will argue that the minimum sentence for murder in South Africa is 15 years.
Defence counsel will argue that Masipa correctly found substantial and compelling circumstances justifying her handing Pistorius a lesser sentence.
Pistorius will not be court today. He’s in a special prison in Pretoria accommodating his physically disability. He has no legs below the knees .
The appeal judges will hand down their ruling at a later date.