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Oscar Pistorius to be sentenced in June for murder of Reeva Steenkamp

Sentencing postponed following appeal court decision to overturn culpable homicide conviction 

Emma Henderson
Monday 18 April 2016 07:11 EDT
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Oscar Pistorius arrives at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria
Oscar Pistorius arrives at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria (Reuters)

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Oscar Pistorius’ sentencing for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp has been postponed until June.

The Paralympic athlete appeared briefly in court in Pretoria on Monday following an appeal by prosecutors to overturn his original conviction in December.

The Supreme Court upgraded the 29-year-old’s conviction to murder from “culpable homicide”, South Africa's equivalent of manslaughter, for which he had received a five-year sentence.

Oscar Pistorius stands in the dock at the High Court in Pretoria ahead of postponement hearing
Oscar Pistorius stands in the dock at the High Court in Pretoria ahead of postponement hearing (Getty Images)

“The matter is postponed to the 13th of June 2016, and it will be heard until the 17th of June 2016,” High Court Judge Aubrey Ledwaba said.

Pistorius faces a minimum of 15 years in jail and will remain on bail until the new hearing.

He had denied intentionally killing Ms Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013 in their home, saying he mistook her for an intruder when he shot her four times through the bathroom door.

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