Re: Oscar Pistorius

by aiyoyo Tue 21 Oct 2014, 3:43 pm

PeterMac wrote:3 years for discharging a firearm which hurt nobody
5 years for discharging a firearm which ripped a young woman to pieces
¿ Que ?

I was taken aback by that too. Very bizzare idea of justice for the victim.
His defence team expects him to be out in 8 months time with the rest of the sentence spent at home under supervision?
That's another Que ? (can't do the spanish question ?)

by ultimaThule Tue 21 Oct 2014, 4:07 pm

From The Guardian today: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

"David Smith in Pretoria
The Guardian, Tuesday 21 October 2014 10.49 BST

Oscar Pistorius is sentenced for the killing of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

Oscar Pistorius will spend his first day behind bars on Tuesday after he was sentenced to five years’ jail for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Looking distressed, the Paralympian clasped the hands of family members as a police officer led him from the dock down 23 steps – paint peeling off the handrail – to holding cells below the high court in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa.

The national prosecuting authority said Pistorius, 27, would go to prison immediately and would be eligible to be considered for parole after serving a third of his sentence. His uncle, Arnold Pistorius, indicated the sprinter would not appeal.

The amputee athlete, known as the “Blade Runner”, stood staring straight ahead as judge Thokozile Masipa announced his sentence for culpable homicide. There was a muted reaction from the families on the front bench of the public gallery after a trial that has otherwise provided high emotion and drama.

Masipa rejected many of the defence team’s arguments and described the evidence of one of their witnesses, social worker Annette Vergeer, as “slapdash and disappointing”. She said she had no reason to believe that South Africa’s prisons would not be able to cater for the needs of a disabled person such as Pistorius.

“It would be a sad day for this country if an impression was created that there is one law for the poor and disadvantaged and another for the rich and famous,” she noted.

Masipa said a judge must strive for a sentence “neither too light nor too severe”, ruling that “a non-custodial sentence will send a wrong message to the community”.

Referring to the Steenkamp family, the judge said: “Nothing I do or say today can reverse what happened to the deceased or her family on 14 February 2013”, but she hopes her judgment would provide some form of closure.

Steenkamp’s father, Barry, said afterwards: “I’m pleased that it’s over.”

The Steenkamps’ lawyer, Dup de Bruyn, told Agence France-Presse that the sentence would probably be served as two years in prison and three years under house arrest. “In effect, he gets three years’ correctional supervision and two years’ direct imprisonment.”

De Bruyn said Steenkamp’s parents were satisfied with the decision. “They feel it’s right.”

Pistorius killed Steenkamp, 29, in the early hours of Valentine’s Day last year when he shot her through the bathroom door at his home in Pretoria. He insisted he thought he was firing at an intruder.

Pistorius was also given a three year sentence, suspended for five years, for a firearms offence"

by ultimaThule Tue 21 Oct 2014, 6:00 pm

PeterMac wrote:3 years for discharging a firearm which hurt nobody
5 years for discharging a firearm which ripped a young woman to pieces
¿ Que ?

Pistorius receives a 5 year sentence for killing their daughter and her parents express themselves as being 'satisfied'. ¿Quetf, indeed, PeterM.

IMO the judge in this case has brought shame to her country's judiciary and it's to be hoped that the prosecution appeals both her verdict and the derisory prison term she has handed down to an offender who is nothing more or less than a murderer.

by **PeterMac** Tue 21 Oct 2014, 9:04 pm

He is found not to have intended to kill his girlfriend . . .
But he clearly intended to kill whoever was behind the door, black, white, man, women, intruder, lost drunk, wandering judge, whoever.
He intended to kill a person, whoever it was.
It just turned out to be his girlfriend ! ! !

If it had turned out to be a vagrant drugged up Black man, with previous convictions for burglary, would the decision have been different.
And if so, WHY ?

by Dont Make Me Laff Tue 21 Oct 2014, 9:06 pm

His FIL said he believed the sentence was fair

Lets not forget that crime is rife in that part of the world? and he was justified in being on his guard Pmac?

by plebgate Tue 21 Oct 2014, 9:19 pm

The judge said that because he admitted that he thought it was an intruder in the bathroom he was found guilty of culpable homicide. Had he said he thought it was an animal in the bathroom he would have been found not guilty.

Wonder if that excuse will be used in the future?

by jozi Wed 22 Oct 2014, 8:52 am

Dont Make Me Laff wrote:His FIL said he believed the sentence was fair

Lets not forget that crime is rife in that part of the world? and he was justified in being on his guard Pmac?

Yes crime is rife here in South Africa but we are still not allowed to shoot an intruder who breaks into your home (that's if you are one of the lucky ones that still own a gun ) the gun laws have changed so much and its very hard to get a gun licence now !!! We are not allowed to defend yourself by just shooting someone ( who ever that may be ) but to fire a warning shot first and if they are still coming towards you then you can fire, if you have a gun ?

This Judge has damaged our judiciary here now, as I'm sure people will now take into consideration her verdict and fight back instead of firing a warning shot......Oscar did behind a closed door and got away with murder !!!

by ultimaThule Mon 27 Oct 2014, 7:36 pm

Prosecutors will appeal the verdict and the sentence: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

by tiny Mon 27 Oct 2014, 7:47 pm

Now that is good news thumbup

by aiyoyo Thu 06 Nov 2014, 8:11 am

PeterMac wrote:He is found not to have intended to kill his girlfriend . . .
But he clearly intended to kill whoever was behind the door, black, white, man, women, intruder, lost drunk, wandering judge, whoever.
He intended to kill a person, whoever it was.
It just turned out to be his girlfriend ! ! !

If it had turned out to be a vagrant drugged up Black man, with previous convictions for burglary, would the decision have been different.
And if so, WHY ?

Hence the appeal, as the NPA believes the Judge misinterpreted the law on "Dolus eventualis" ie common murder, a lesser murder charge meaning the perpetrator objectively forsees the possibility that his act may cause death yet persists without regard for the consequences.

Ironically the appeal is filed to the same Judge. If she rejects it, NPA has the option to petition the Supreme Court to hear the case. What are the chances of her approving the appeal (against her judgement and verdict )? We shall see.

Had the intruder turned out to a vagrant drunk or drugged black man there probably would be no trial. That can easily be swept under the carpet by a good lawyer with clever press manipulation.

by Snifferdog Thu 06 Nov 2014, 8:23 am

Aiyoyo wrote, bolded:

"Had the intruder turned out to a vagrant drunk or drugged black man there probably would be no trial. That can easily be swept under the carpet by a good lawyer with clever press manipulation."

Aiyoyo, as a S African born and bred, I can assure you if that were the case, that he would be serving a lifetime sentence with no parole.

Palms in S. Africa are well greased.

by aiyoyo Thu 06 Nov 2014, 9:02 am

Snifferdog wrote:Aiyoyo wrote, bolded:

"Had the intruder turned out to a vagrant drunk or drugged black man there probably would be no trial. That can easily be swept under the carpet by a good lawyer with clever press manipulation."

Aiyoyo, as a S African born and bred, I can assure you if that were the case, that he would be serving a lifetime sentence with no parole.

Palms in S. Africa are well greased.

Oh wow, the other way around. Good to know that.

by aiyoyo Thu 06 Nov 2014, 9:08 am

Snifferdog wrote:Aiyoyo wrote, bolded:

"Had the intruder turned out to a vagrant drunk or drugged black man there probably would be no trial. That can easily be swept under the carpet by a good lawyer with clever press manipulation."

Aiyoyo, as a S African born and bred, I can assure you if that were the case, that he would be serving a lifetime sentence with no parole.

Palms in S. Africa are well greased.

Oh wow, the other way around. Good to know that.

by Angelique Fri 07 Nov 2014, 1:05 am

Have just received June Steenkamp's Book - Reeva.

It's going to make me tearful I guess!

by aiyoyo Fri 07 Nov 2014, 11:51 pm

Angelique wrote:Have just received June Steenkamp's Book - Reeva.

It's going to make me tearful I guess!

She and her husband are very forgiving people. Give us a clue how you find the book.

Latest development is that OP's lawyer will oppose the appeal, date set for Nov 18 (IIRC).

by aiyoyo Mon 10 Nov 2014, 4:24 pm

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Didn't the judge realise that during sentencing ?

by ultimaThule Mon 10 Nov 2014, 9:02 pm

Given the flawed verdict and excessively lenient sentence she handed down to Pistorious, aiyoyo, it seems to me more likely the judge was aware that "even without release on a tagging system, he may be able to apply for parole after 10 months".

Should the prosecution's appeal fail, it's be hoped that notice will be taken of the Daily Mail comment which suggests a tag should be made to fit around this self-entitled killer's neck..

by aiyoyo Tue 11 Nov 2014, 9:30 am

ultimaThule wrote:Given the flawed verdict and excessively lenient sentence she handed down to Pistorious, aiyoyo, it seems to me more likely the judge was aware that "even without release on a tagging system, he may be able to apply for parole after 10 months".

Should the prosecution's appeal fail, it's be hoped that notice will be taken of the Daily Mail comment which suggests a tag should be made to fit around this self-entitled killer's neck..

His Defence is definitely looking at working on getting him the parole after 10 months.
Whether that will be allowed or not is left to be seen since there is the "no ankle" to be tagged issue.

I can't see the Judge granting appeal since it would mean admitting she made an error.
If Judge should refuse to grant the appeal, the NPA has the option to apply to the Supreme Court to hear the appeal case.

Should appeal fail, it's to be hoped the Prosecution will oppose the Parole on the same issue of "no ankle" to monitor the killer.

by aiyoyo Thu 04 Dec 2014, 6:21 pm

NPA appeal hearing on the 9th Dec.....
McCanns vs Amaral trial closing hearing on the 10th Dec
Redwood & team in Portugal next week.....

Quite a full week ahead......

by ultimaThule Thu 11 Dec 2014, 4:18 pm

It seems that Pistorious is yet to benefit from an anger management course: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

"Hood said that with the decision of a Cape Town court to throw out the Shrien Dewani case - another high-profile murder trial involving a beautiful young woman killed in the dead of night - South Africa's courts need to demonstrate they are rigorous and fair.

"From a perception point of view, both public and internationally, we need to tell everybody that we have a robust and effective legal system."

It seems to me that "everybody" may be more inclined believe that SA has "a robust and effective legal system" If this particular prisoner remains in jail until the Appeal Court has handed down its verdict - and, hopefully, for the whole of the term he deserves to serve for murdering Reeva Steenkamp.

by ultimaThule Fri 13 Mar 2015, 11:35 am

It will be a further travesty if this killer is granted parole before the prosecution's appeal is heard:

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by Liz Eagles Fri 13 Mar 2015, 11:56 am

ultimaThule wrote:It will be a further travesty if this killer is granted parole before the prosecution's appeal is heard:

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It's odds on he'll be out of prison and doing 'house arrest' for the rest of his sentence by around July this year.

Oscar is doing almost solitary (sharing a few physical exercise moments/equipment with a corrupt bloke on remand). The SA government can't afford to showcase how absolutely dire their prisons are so afford him special protection.

He'll be out soon.

In the meantime, Reeva's mother has taken to campaigning against domestic violence. She has written a book and has received an income beyond her earning capacity before the death of Reeva from publishing about the murder of her daughter.

Just an observation.

by aiyoyo Fri 13 Mar 2015, 2:55 pm

aquila wrote:It's odds on he'll be out of prison and doing 'house arrest' for the rest of his sentence by around July this year.

In the meantime, Reeva's mother has taken to campaigning against domestic violence. She has written a book and has received an income beyond her earning capacity before the death of Reeva from publishing about the murder of her daughter.

Just an observation.

Reeva's mother has said that she does not care about the appeal.

snipped from Daily Mail

And regarding the appeal to have Pistorius convicted of murder, she said: 'How is it going to help me ?

And, I thought this is all about justice for Reeva. Apparently not !
Sorry to say, but Reeva's mum seems only concerned about herself. About how the situation is going to help her, about she's going to make money and profit on the back of her daughter's name/death, about plugging her book and advocating anti domestic violence campaign (getting paid for talks presumably), than about making sure that proper justice is gotten and returned to Reeva.

'I don't want him to suffer in any way, because he's a disabled person.'

Freaky Unbelievable ! This disabled person well reputed for making a living from international sporting events, was able to walk to the bathroom and pumped 4 bullets her daughter, with intent to kill, knowing full well there's no where to hide in a cucible, yet Mrs Steenkamp is ready to forgive him on the reason he is disabled.

Any normal mum who's sane would be delighted that Prosecutor pushed for the appropriate charge and befitting punishment for the crime, yet Reeva's mum appears not to appreciate the prosecutor's effort, doesnt care about the appeal if it isn't going to help her.

Reeva supported her parents financially when she was alive, and it seems in her death she's stll supporting them from her grave.

You can bet her "couldn't care less" about this appeal attitude will be used by Defence lawyer to their advantage. Her apathetic attitude to the appeal may well scupper the prosecutor's appeal chance.

by aiyoyo Sat 06 Jun 2015, 9:20 pm

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Amanda and Sollecito due back in Court for defamation of Public Prosecutor in their respective books.

by Joss Sun 07 Jun 2015, 12:11 pm

aiyoyo wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Amanda and Sollecito due back in Court for defamation of Public Prosecutor in their respective books.

Thanks for the link. Have been waiting to hear when this was going to happen. Am not holding my breath with any further punishment to Knox & Sollecito though. Looking forward to hear how the Court acquitted the pair and on what grounds, which should also be coming out soon.

by aiyoyo Mon 08 Jun 2015, 7:08 pm

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OP, recommended for release in August by the Parole Board.
The Prosecutor's appeal hearing is scheduled to take place in November.

Guessing there will now be a battle between Parole Board and Prosecutor for him not to be released to at least until the Appeal is heard and probably verdict is had.

Can't help feeling that if he were to be released and placed on house arrest it will make the Prosecutor's appeal job a lot harder. House arrest gives him freedom to use PC and meet with key people to engineer/influence situation to his favour.

by Liz Eagles Mon 08 Jun 2015, 7:11 pm

aiyoyo wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

OP, recommended for release in August by the Parole Board.
The Prosecutor's appeal hearing is scheduled to take place in November.

Guessing there will now be a battle between Parole Board and Prosecutor for him not to be released to at least until the Appeal is heard and probably verdict is had.

I've been reading this on iol.co.za today.

Oscar will be out by 21st August.

by aiyoyo Mon 08 Jun 2015, 7:15 pm

aquila wrote:
aiyoyo wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

OP, recommended for release in August by the Parole Board.
The Prosecutor's appeal hearing is scheduled to take place in November.

Guessing there will now be a battle between Parole Board and Prosecutor for him not to be released to at least until the Appeal is heard and probably verdict is had.
I've been reading this on iol.co.za today.

Oscar will be out by 21st August.

Not sure if that is definite. I read it's what the Parole Board will recommend.
Question is - will the authority that oversees the Parole Board approve it.
Also, there is no report on whether the Prosecutor has applied to block it.
Would imagine the prosecutor will get on top of it to block the parole board's recommendation.

by Liz Eagles Mon 08 Jun 2015, 7:20 pm

aiyoyo wrote:
aquila wrote:
aiyoyo wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

OP, recommended for release in August by the Parole Board.
The Prosecutor's appeal hearing is scheduled to take place in November.

Guessing there will now be a battle between Parole Board and Prosecutor for him not to be released to at least until the Appeal is heard and probably verdict is had.
I've been reading this on iol.co.za today.

Oscar will be out by 21st August.

Not sure if that is definite. I read it's what the Parole Board will recommend.
Question is - will the authority that oversees the Parole Board approve it.
Also, there is no report on whether the Prosecutor has applied to block it.
Would imagine the prosecutor will get on top of it to block the parole board's recommendation.

We'll see.

by Liz Eagles Wed 12 Aug 2015, 9:14 pm

9 more prison sleeps for Oscar until he's released on licence. It seems it's all going ahead.

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