Johannesburg: Oscar Pistorious, the double-amputee athlete convicted of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, removed his prosthetic legs and hobbled around the courtroom on his stumps as part of his lawyer’s final defence remarks on Wednesday.
Barry Roux, Pistorius’ lawyer, asked him to remove his prosthetic legs and walk around the courtroom in order to demonstrate how helpless he is without his artificial limbs.
Pistorious appeared to be crying in silence as he remained standing while lawyer Roux described the killing.
Roux said that Pistorious had already paid socially, financially and mentally for shooting Reeva dead on Valentine’s Day 2013.
Removing his prosthetic legs, Oscar walked awkwardly in the courtroom past the judge’s bench as she watched him intently. He then came to a halt in front of one of the television cameras inside the court.
The sketch artist and Oscar’s psychologist helped him to rest against his barrister’s desk as the court sat in silence while watching him.
A 15-year prison sentence is the minimum punishment for murder in South Africa. However, the law allows for a lesser sentence to be imposed in exceptional circumstances.
Pistorius has already served 12 months in prison after he was convicted in 2014 of the manslaughter of Reeva Steenkamp.
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