Pistorius Walks Free on Bail After Manslaughter Conviction
By Paul Burkhardt and Christopher Spillane Sep 12, 2014 11:34 AM ET
Oscar Pistorius, the Paralympic gold medalist, was freed on bail after he was convicted of manslaughter for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and of firing a gun in a crowded restaurant.
Judge Thokozile Masipa extended his bail of 1 million rand ($91,000) at the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa’s capital today, and scheduled his sentencing hearing to start on Oct. 13. His punishment for culpable homicide, or manslaughter, could range from a fine to as many as 15 years in jail.
“The accused acted negligently when he fired shots into the toilet door knowing that there was someone behind the door and that there was very little room in which to maneuver,” Masipa said. “A reasonable person, therefore, in the position of the accused with similar disability would have foreseen the possibility that whoever was behind the door might be killed by the shots.”
Known as the Blade Runner because of his J-shaped prosthetic running blades, Pistorius was the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics. His trial drew a worldwide audience and derailed the running career of the winner of six Paralympic gold medals and cost Pistorius sponsorship deals with Nike Inc. (NKE) and Luxottica Group SpA (LUX)’s Oakley.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-11/pistorius-faces-culpable-homicide-after-cleared-on-murder-charge.html
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