Pistorius ‘should only get community service for killing Reeva’ court hears

Oscar Pistorius is a “broken man” after killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and “flashbacks of the shooting will be mental images he always carries with him”, a court has heard. The double-amputee athlete was in court for sentencing - and could make a personal plea to Judge Thokozile Masipa in an effort to avoid jail. He was cleared of murdering the 29-year-old model, but found guilty of culpable homicide - the equivalent of manslaughter in the UK. 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, giving evidence today

If he is sent to jail, the maximum sentence Judge Masipa is expected to hand out would be 15 years. Joel Maringa, a social worker for the Office of Correctional Services, recommended Pistorius be held under house arrest for three years. He said the runner could stay at his uncle’s house in Pretoria, while doing 16 hours a month of cleaning at a local hospital or museum. However, Mr Nel said house arrest was “shockingly inappropriate” and questioned whether Mr Maringa had thought about the impact on Ms Steenkamp’s family.

World Pistorius