Oscar Pistorius Conviction Changed To Murder

South African Olympic and Paralympic track star Pistorius attends his sentencing at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria
Oscar Pistorius' conviction for killing his girlfriend has been changed from manslaughter to murder.
An appeals judge said the verdict was "confusing and flawed" and the athlete will now be re-sentenced by the original court and will almost certainly go back to jail.
A murder conviction carries a much heftier sentence: a minimum of 15 years in South Africa.
Justice Leach said Pistorius must have foreseen that firing into the toilet would have killed whoever was inside - but went ahead anyway.
Reeva Steenkamp's mother, June, closed her eyes but remained silent as the decision was read out in the Bloemfontein court.
The athlete was not in court and is currently under house arrest at his uncle's luxurious home after serving less than a year for killing his girlfriend on Valentine's Day 2013.

Pistorius had said he accidentally shot dead Ms Steenkamp after believing there was an intruder in his house. The prosecution argued he killed her after an argument.
The Paralympian was originally convicted of culpable homicide - akin to manslaughter - after a long-running trial under the glare of the world's media.
The appeal centred on dolus eventualis - a Latin legal phrase meaning the act was carried out knowing it would lead to death and the accused went ahead anyway.
The appeal court said the concept had been incorrectly applied by Judge Masipa in the original trial.
Reeva Steempkamp's father, Barry, said he was "satisfied" that her killer had now been convicted of murder.



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