Oscar Pistorius sentenced to five years

By Terrence McCoy October 21 at 4:37 AM

Oscar Pistorius, center, arrives outside the court in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Antoine de Ras, Independent Newspapers)

Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee who dazzled the world with his sprinting in the 2012 Olympics, was sentenced to 5 years in prison by a South African judge on Tuesday morning, bringing to a close a trial that has captivated world audiences in a way unseen since the trial of O.J. Simpson.
Pistorius was convicted on Sept. 12 of culpable homicide for killing his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day 2013 by shooting her through a bathroom door in his Pretoria home. His defense rested on a claim that he thought an intruder, rather than Steenkamp, was in the bathroom.

Shining a global spotlight on South Africa’s often criticized justice system, the trial over the fate of Pistorius, known as the Bladerunner for the high-tech prosthetic legs which helped propel him, was a battle of competing narratives to the end.
The prosecution produced a chilling portrayal of Pistorius. To them, he was a gun fanatic driven by ego, who, in a fit of rage, killed Steenkamp.
To the defense, however, Pistorius was a man trapped by disability who, in a moment of vulnerability and fear with his prosthetics removed, shot his girlfriend dead after he mistook her for an intruder.
The trial, which began on March 3, consumed weeks of testimony, with Pistorius often breaking down and weeping or vomiting.