BBC News –South African athlete Oscar Pistorius should not go to jail over the killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, his sentencing hearing has been told.A probation officer appearing for the defence said Pistorius should serve house arrest and community service.Prosecutor Gerrie Nel described the suggestion as “shockingly inappropriate”.Pistorius was found guilty of the culpable homicide of Ms Steenkamp last month – but was cleared of murder.The decision was criticised by the victim’s family.Pistorius faces up to 15 years in jail, although Judge Thokozile Masipa may suspend the sentence or impose a fine.She said the athlete had acted “negligently” when he shot his girlfriend through a toilet door, but had genuinely thought her to be an intruder.
Analysis by Andrew Harding, Africa correspondent, Pretoria
This was Oscar Pistorius’s big chance to convince Judge Thokozile Masipa that he does not deserve to spend a day in prison for killing Reeva Steenkamp.It seemed to go reasonably well for the defence. The athlete’s first witness was trauma counsellor Lore Hartzenberg, who strongly implied that a “broken” Pistorius had been punished enough. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel, all snarls and scepticism, questioned her professionalism during cross-examination, but struggled to rattle her.The next witness was an even tougher challenge for the prosecution, since social worker Joel Maringa had been assigned by the state, not the defence, to assess what punishment was suitable. He recommended no time in prison, and three years of house arrest and community service instead.Judge Masipa, as usual, was giving little away, but asked for more details about what “community service” might entail. If you’re looking for clues, that may be the highlight from the first day – and remember, the prosecution has yet to call its own witnesses
