Pistorius handed 5 years for culpable homicide

Oscar Pistorius has been handed a five year jail sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Judge Thokozile Masipa, issuing the ruling also handed down a three-year suspended sentence for a firearms charge on Pistorius before he was taken to the cells as court adjourned in Pretoria.

Judge Thokozile Masipa heard prosecution calls for the Paralympian to be jailed for 10 years, while defence lawyers have pleaded for house arrest and community service.

The judge last month acquitted the double amputee sprinter of the more serious charge of murder but found him guilty of culpable homicide, for which the punishment can range from a fine to up to 15 years in jail.

Judge Masipa began reading the sentence by saying that, although she had been aided by assessors, the decision was hers and hers alone.

She said: "Sentencing is about achieving the right balance. Sentencing is not a perfect exercise."

She also said she had a "feeling of unease" at what she called an overemphasis on the athlete's vulnerability.

However, she said Pistorius had made an "enormous contribution to society", in his charity work and in changing the public perception of disability.

However, both the prosecution and the defence have the right to appeal against the verdict should they feel dissatisfied.

Meanwhile, the family of Reeva Steenkamp has welcomed Oscar Pistorius' sentence according their lawyer.