Not guilty of murder: Oscar Pistorius cleared of most serious charges

Oscar Pistorius has been cleared of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp - but he could still face a lengthy jail term if found guilty of her manslaughter. The 27-year-old athlete broke down as judge Thokozile Masipa (pictured above) said there was not enough evidence to support prosecution claims Pistorius intended to kill the law graduate-turned-model when he shot her at his home on Valentine’s Day last year. But the judge appeared to indicate he will be convicted of culpable homicide - the South African equivalent of the UK’s manslaughter charge - when he returns to court tomorrow, describing Pistorius as being “negligent” in killing 29-year-old Ms Steenkamp.

The state has clearly not proved that the accused is guilty of premeditated murder. There are clearly not enough facts to support such a finding.

Judge Thokozile Masipa

She told the court in Pretoria that Pistorius acted “hastily” with “too much force” when he fired four bullets through his toilet door in the early hours of February 14, 2013. Pistorius, dubbed Blade Runner due to his prosthetic limbs, has always admitted he shot Ms Steenkamp. But he told police he mistook his girlfriend for intruders. But Pistorius was also described by the judge as a “very poor witness”, who “lost his composure” during cross-examination. In addition to the manslaughter charge, the Olympian will also face verdicts in three alleged firearms offences. Any conviction is likely to result in an adjournment for sentencing.

There were other means available to you to deal with threats to life. All the accused had to do was pick up his cell phone and ring security, or run to the balcony and call for help.

Judge Thokozile Masipa criticises Pistorius’ decision to reach for his gun rather than raise the alarm or fire a warning shot

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