'Broken man' Pistorius awaits to hear his fate in Pretoria court

Oscar Pistorius has been left a “broken man” by his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp’s death and “flashbacks of the shooting will be mental images he always carries with him”, a Pretoria court heard on Monday. The double-amputee athlete is in court for sentencing - and could make a personal plea to the judge in an effort to avoid a potential 15-year jail sentence. He was cleared of murdering the model, but found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa of culpable homicide. Pistorius, 27, was also found guilty of discharging a firearm in public, an offence relating to him firing a gun in a restaurant.

What we are left with is a broken man who has lost everything, his relationship with Reeva Steenkamp, his moral and professional reputation. His career and therefore his earnings.

Psychologist Dr Lore Hartzenberg

The sentencing process is likely to take a week, both the defence and prosecution teams told the court in Pretoria. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel, who is looking for a lengthy jail term for Pistorius, having failed to secure a murder conviction, said he would call two witnesses. Pistorius’ lawyer Barry Roux said he would call three witnesses, plus one from the correctional services department. Mr Nel also said he will bring evidence that Ms Steenkamp’s father Barry suffered a stroke because of his daughter’s death. Pistorius said he believed there was an intruder in his Pretoria home when he fired the shots

We are now dealing with a broken man, but he is still alive.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel

Africa Pistorius