Court changes Pistorius conviction to murder

AFP (Bloemfontein, South Africa): Oscar Pistorius was convicted of murder on Thursday by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal, which threw out his earlier conviction on the lesser crime of culpable homicide for killing his girlfriend.

“Guilty of murder, with the accused having criminal intent,” judge Eric Leach told the court. “The matter is referred back to the trial court to consider an appropriate sentence.” Last year a judge gave Pistorius a five-year jail sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, but prosecutors say he should have been convicted of murder for firing four shots through a locked toilet door.

Pistorius could face at least 15 years behind bars with the new conviction.