South African double-amputee Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius has been granted parole more than 10 years after murdering his girlfriend through a toilet door at his home in South Africa.
Oscar Pistorius, who turned 37 this week, earned his nickname as the "Blade Runner" because of the futuristic carbon-fibre prosthetics he used for competitions. He was convicted in late 2014 and sentenced to prison for 13 years and five months after he murdered his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in the early morning hours of Valentine's Day, 2013.
Department of Corrections spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Pistorius has been granted parole and will be released on January 5; he will also be subject to conditions until his sentence expires.
Department of Corrections spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo:
"All I can say is that the programs that were contained in his correctional sentence plan were all completed," Department of Corrections spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo told reporters Friday ahead of the hearing, which was due to take place at the Pretoria prison where Pistorius is being held. "It is now up to the parole board."
Pistorius testified at his murder trial that he mistakenly murdered his girlfriend after thinking she was a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom in the middle of the night. He fired four times through the door with his licensed 9mm pistol.
He was initially convicted of culpable homicide - a charge comparable to manslaughter - and had been in jail since late 2014 but was temporarily released for a period of house arrest in 2015.
He was ultimately convicted of murder after an appeal by prosecutors and later sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.
Pistorius, the first disabled athlete to compete against able-bodied men, was once hailed as the most inspirational figure in sports. His image was shattered when he fired four shots into a bathroom stall in his Pretoria home in an upscale gated community, killing Steenkamp, his girlfriend of three months.
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