Oscar Pistorius appeal judgment looms

The five appeal judges hearing the case of Oscar Pistorius will announce their verdict on Thursday.

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) last month heard arguments why the former Paralympic athlete’s conviction of culpable homicide should be converted to that of murder.

Amongst the arguments were whether he had fired four shots into a tiny toilet cubicle despite realising that someone might have been killed by his action. Another question was whether the high court had correctly applied the legal principles on the circumstantial evidence and the multiple defences he had given in his defence.

Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend‚ Reeva Steenkamp‚ 29‚ through a locked toilet door in his Pretoria home early on Valentine's Day‚ February 14 2013.

He was sentenced to a five-year prison term but was released into correctional supervision in October 2015 after spending close to one year in prison.

Should his sentence be changed to murder‚ he could potentially have to return to jail as this conviction carries a 15-year penalty. However‚ this is at the discretion of the trial judge who can take various factors into account.