Court Rejects Prosecutor Request To Appeal Pistorius Sentence

A South African court has rejected a prosecutor’s request to appeal Oscar Pistorius’ six-year murder sentence.

The Judge, Thokozile Masipa said their petition had no reasonable prospects of success.

The court had sentenced the Paralympics gold medallist in July for murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013, but the prosecution had said the decision was too lenient.

Pistorius’ defence had earlier argued the state was prejudiced and had dragged the case on for too long.

Pistorius did not attend Friday’s hearing.

His sentencing was sequel to his initial five-year conviction for manslaughter was changed to murder last December on appeal.

The state had called for him to receive no less than the prescribed minimum of 15-year sentence for murder.