South Africa's appeals court more than doubles Pistorius' sentence

Pistorius was imprisoned in July last year after being found guilty on appeal of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

November 24, 2017 01:41 pm | Updated 01:47 pm IST - JOHANNESBURG:

 In this October 16, 2014 file photo, Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius looks on ahead of his manslaughter sentencing hearing for the 2013 killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa.

In this October 16, 2014 file photo, Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius looks on ahead of his manslaughter sentencing hearing for the 2013 killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa.

South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal on Friday increased Oscar Pistorius' murder sentence to 13 years and five months after the state argued that his original sentence of six years was “shockingly lenient”.

Pistorius was imprisoned in July last year after being found guilty on appeal of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013 in a case that attracted worldwide interest.

The athlete was not in court for Friday's ruling where the court handed down the minimum 15-year sentence prescribed for murder in South Africa, and subtracted the years Pistorius had already served in jail.

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