Paralympic medalist Oscar Pistorius‘ prison sentence was more than doubled on Friday after a South African appellate court agreed that his original term was “shockingly lenient,” the Associated Press reports.
The 31-year-old was originally sentenced to six years in prison for killing his girlfriend Reeve Steenkamp in 2013, but a five-judge Supreme Court of Appeal ordered him to serve 13 years, 5 months in jail.
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The updated ruling would bring the former Olympic athlete’s time behind bars up to the recommended 15-year sentence for murder in South Africa. The time he already served in prison or on house arrest will be honored as time served.
The Associated Press reports that the appellate court’s decision will likely be the last development in the case, coming nearly five years after Pistorius shot Steenkamp four times through the closed bathroom door in his home.
Pistorius shot her months after he rose to fame for running in the 2012 Summer Olympics as the first double-amputee to compete in the games. Before he became known as an accused murderer, he was “Blade Runner,” an international star athlete.
Throughout his trial, Pistorius claimed he didn’t know his girlfriend was behind the door; he thought an intruder had entered the house. Instead, prosecutors alleged that his motivation for firing on Steenkamp stemmed from an argument they previously had.
Pistorius’ arrest and trial made international headlines considering his famed status. Originally, he was convicted of manslaughter and served one year in prison, then prosecutors appealed and he was found guilty of murder in 2015.
Photo credit: Getty / Future Publishing / Contributor
