Oscar Pistorius found guilty of culpable homicide

[Seastallion]

He's looking at up to 15 years for the manslaughter charge and 5 for the gun charge.

Not home and dry yet.

I think if M'Lady had fifteen years in mind, she'd have found a reason from somewhere to deny bail.

He's not a flight risk. He's recognised the world over.

[Soutpeel]

Got away with murder. If it were some young black African male he would have been found guilty months ago. Mr Pistorius, you sir are a grub.

Or of course if he was a very rich black male in a high position in the government he would have got away with it completely as did a certain gentleman who was up on rape charges not so many years ago

[KevinB]

I found the judgement rather sad - the first black female judge kept quoting legal precedent for shooting an intruder from the deep apartheid era - the 50s and 60s - rather than reflecting a new South Africa where laws are meant to protect the innocent especially abused women (a serious problem in SA). In a country where racial privilege has perverted justice for decades - it again appears that money and fame can enable someone literally to get away with murder. The Police completely botched the investigation of the crime scene, so much so that the prosecution had to rely on circumstantial evidence - incompetent police and the burden of proof piled on to the prosecution made justice very hard to achieve.

Evidence of SMS and WatsApp messages showing severe tensions in the relationship (based on his psychotic control tendencies - rejected by the Judge because "all relations have a rocky time" - and at the same time court evidence from a former girlfriend about another reckless firearm incident totally rejected because she had broken up with the ex. All this from a lady judge!!!!

Next time you hear that a mob - having caught the criminal red handed in the townships - places a tyre over his head, pours petrol and lights it - resorting to a local favourite - a "necklace" - maybe you will understand their frustration with the lack of Justice in SA for the common folk.

[poweratradio]

There must be a very good chance that the prosecution will appeal, a lot of legal opinion in SA suggesting they would have good grounds. It would appear that M'Lady's interpretation of the charge of dolus eventualis, ie, common law murder, is seriously flawed. This charge applies if the accused knew they MIGHT kill someone, but still went ahead with their course of action. SA legal expert Professor Pierre de Vos stated, 'rejection of this charge cannot be correct. Surely if you shoot several times into a door of a small toilet and know somebody is behind the door, you foresee and accept POSSIBILITY of killing'. In his opinion this should be enough for a conviction of murder. My hunch is that the prosecution will wait until after the sentencing, if he gets of with a light sentence i'm sure there will be an appeal. Rightly so in my opinion.

S.A Does have an off the wall legal system but in any country in the world except France ( Napoleonic law= guilty prove your own innocence) your innocent until proven guilty beyond any doubt. Justice has been served.

Edited September 13, 2014 by poweratradio

[jaidam]

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed, comparisons to the US legal process is off topic here.

[Blindside]

Weak decision. Flawed prosecution, and slimy crafty defence.

Flawed prosecution?

Can you explain? Not self-evident enough for me to understand what you mean.

[Publicus]

It happens that people awaken wondering if there might be an intruder in the house. It sounds as if SA might have a higher incidence of it than other countries.

And one can speculate about what he would do or would have done. There probably are some (obscure) data somewhere concerning what people do and how they react in either event. I dunno what was presented at the trial, how it was presented, certainly don't know SA law and don't know anything much about the judge (except she sounds seriously retarded).

Sounded to me from the outset and I still think it's Murder One.

I say again one can speculate but I just don't see myself as having done what he did. Or even close to it. Being expert with a firearm can tend to make some people more likely to use it and much more likely to think of realistic ways in which to use it.

My reaction is based simply on the events of the night. I'm not considering all the other stuff that's come out about him since the night. .

From my first hearing about it, it's Murder One. From what I hear about the fruitcake judge, Pistorius is perversely lucky he decided to kill her rather than rape her.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Publicus

[Soutpeel]

It happens that people awaken wondering if there might be an intruder in the house. It sounds as if SA might have a higher incidence of it than other countries.

And one can speculate about what he would do or would have done. There probably are some (obscure) data somewhere concerning what people do and how they react in either event. I dunno what was presented at the trial, how it was presented, certainly don't know SA law and don't know anything much about the judge (except she sounds seriously retarded).

Sounded to me from the outset and I still think it's Murder One.

I say again one can speculate but I just don't see myself as having done what he did. Or even close to it. Being expert with a firearm can tend to make some people more likely to use it and much more likely to think of realistic ways in which to use it.

My reaction is based simply on the events of the night. I'm not considering all the other stuff that's come out about him since the night. .

From my first hearing about it, it's Murder One. From what I hear about the fruitcake judge, Pistorius is perversely lucky he decided to kill her rather than rape her.

You usually contribute half coherent posts on TV, but this one is absolute drivel, what ARE you bleating on about ?

[Soutpeel]

I found the judgement rather sad - the first black female judge kept quoting legal precedent for shooting an intruder from the deep apartheid era - the 50s and 60s - rather than reflecting a new South Africa where laws are meant to protect the innocent especially abused women (a serious problem in SA). In a country where racial privilege has perverted justice for decades - it again appears that money and fame can enable someone literally to get away with murder. The Police completely botched the investigation of the crime scene, so much so that the prosecution had to rely on circumstantial evidence - incompetent police and the burden of proof piled on to the prosecution made justice very hard to achieve.

Evidence of SMS and WatsApp messages showing severe tensions in the relationship (based on his psychotic control tendencies - rejected by the Judge because "all relations have a rocky time" - and at the same time court evidence from a former girlfriend about another reckless firearm incident totally rejected because she had broken up with the ex. All this from a lady judge!!!!

Next time you hear that a mob - having caught the criminal red handed in the townships - places a tyre over his head, pours petrol and lights it - resorting to a local favourite - a "necklace" - maybe you will understand their frustration with the lack of Justice in SA for the common folk.

Thank you judge Judy

[Publicus]

I guess Sunday is as good a day as any to go suh-trolling.

Take an umbrella.

[spidermike007]

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There must be a very good chance that the prosecution will appeal, a lot of legal opinion in SA suggesting they would have good grounds. It would appear that M'Lady's interpretation of the charge of dolus eventualis, ie, common law murder, is seriously flawed. This charge applies if the accused knew they MIGHT kill someone, but still went ahead with their course of action. SA legal expert Professor Pierre de Vos stated, 'rejection of this charge cannot be correct. Surely if you shoot several times into a door of a small toilet and know somebody is behind the door, you foresee and accept POSSIBILITY of killing'. In his opinion this should be enough for a conviction of murder. My hunch is that the prosecution will wait until after the sentencing, if he gets of with a light sentence i'm sure there will be an appeal. Rightly so in my opinion.

"Surely if you shoot several times into a door of a small toilet and know somebody is behind the door, you foresee and accept POSSIBILITY of killing'."

Isn't that culpable homicide (aka "murder" or "killing")? It matters not WHO the defendent thinks is the person behind the door, only that a reasonable acting person wold know that firing 4 shots through the door MAY likely kill the person.

The defendent had a legal firearm and training with it. He loaded the firearm and deliberately fired into the door. He also knew the bathroom dimensions and layout such that a shot had a likelihood of hitting a person behind the door. Homicides without direct witnesses, a pattern of prior circumstancial evidence such as open threats to kill or wishing death, or witnesses out of sight hearing altercations between the defendent and deceased makes a quilty verdict beyond a shadow of doubt most difficult and easily overturned. Judges don't like to be overturned; makes them look incompetant.

I believe incompetent is the key word here. Overturning may make the judge look incompetent, but so does a verdict like this. A child could have come to a more reasonable conclusion than this pale shadow of a judge.

[coma]

Got away with murder. If it were some young black African male he would have been found guilty months ago. Mr Pistorius, you sir are a grub.

pretty sick of people like this that always bring race into any argument PATHETIC

What I find pathetic is your post in general. I was stating facts. Sometime race is IDEED the issue, there for all to see. Except for racist individuals whom choose to turn a blind I to these FACTS. Enjoy your Sunday lunch.

[Prbkk]

A thoroughly nasty piece of work. Probably got legless after the verdict to celebrate his good fortune.

[JemJem]

Only he knows if he deliberately killed her or not. We can only guess. But as far as I can tell, the heavy majority (including me) thinks that what happened was premeditated murder.

[MJP]

A thoroughly nasty piece of work. Probably got legless after the verdict to celebrate his good fortune.

You know he was vomiting during the trial. Well, I wonder how many times he also did a Number 2?

[Buckeye21]

Weasel, he had it all and was too stupid to hold onto it. I hope he gets the max but he seems to have of dodging bullets in life. Such a shame.

[thailiketoo]

Today it was announced that she had been making payments to her mother and he has taken them over since her death $600 per month. Sound familiar?

[uptheos]

Is this kind of sentencing process the same for all South African's found guilty?

[Chicog]

Today it was announced that she had been making payments to her mother and he has taken them over since her death $600 per month. Sound familiar?

It was also announced that they were taking them "because they needed them" but now they want to pay the lot back; and they also turned down $21,000 from him which was the proceeds of a car sale.

So I'm guessing the book and TV rights deals have already been negotiated.

[thailiketoo]

Today it was announced that she had been making payments to her mother and he has taken them over since her death $600 per month. Sound familiar?

It was also announced that they were taking them "because they needed them" but now they want to pay the lot back; and they also turned down $21,000 from him which was the proceeds of a car sale.

So I'm guessing the book and TV rights deals have already been negotiated.

Does South Africa have sinsod too?