South African appeals court more than doubles Pistorius sentence

JOHANNESBURG:  South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal on Friday increased Oscar Pistorius’ murder sentence to 13 years and five months after the state argued that his original sentence of six years was “shockingly lenient”.

Pistorius was imprisoned in July last year after being found guilty on appeal of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013 in a case that attracted worldwide interest.

The athlete was not in court for Friday’s ruling where the court handed down the minimum 15-year sentence prescribed for murder in South Africa, and subtracted the years Pistorius had already served in jail.