Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to 6 years in jail for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp by the High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday.
“I find that there are substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence,” Judge Thokozile Masipa said.
She said he was a good candidate for rehabilitation.
Masipa took defence lawyer Barry Roux’s side in his argument that a wrong perception had been created that Pistorius was the strong, capable athlete when he shot and killed Steenkamp on February 14, 2013.
The court had a duty to correct this perception, she said.
Roux had argued that Pistorius was vulnerable, 1.50m tall on his stumps, in the dark at 03:00 that morning when he killed Steenkamp.
