Oscar Pistorius' brother 'heartbroken' as Paralympian's murder sentence is doubled
Reeva Steenkamp's family welcome court ruling as his jail term increases from six years to 13 years and five months
Friday 24 November 2017 20:44, UK
The brother of Oscar Pistorius says he is "heartbroken" after the athlete's sentence for murdering his girlfriend was more than doubled.
South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal increased Pistorius's sentence for killing Reeva Steenkamp from six years to 13 years and five months after prosecutors argued his original term was "shockingly lenient".
The Paralympian was not in court for the ruling.
Afterwards, his brother Carl wrote on Twitter: "Shattered, heartbroken, gutted.
"We have all suffered incomprehensible loss. The death of Reeva was and still is a great loss for our family too."
Pistorius was jailed in July 2016 after being found guilty on appeal of murdering Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.
The court has now given Pistorius the minimum 15-year sentence for murder in South Africa, less time he has already served.
Tania Koen, a spokeswoman for the Steenkamp family, said: "This is an emotional thing for them. They just feel that their trust in the justice system has been confirmed this morning."
Pistorius claimed he mistook 29-year-old Ms Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four bullets through the bathroom door in the early hours of 14 February 2013.
Judge Thokozile Masipa initially ruled the state had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the double amputee was guilty of premeditated murder, but may still be guilty of culpable homicide - equivalent to the UK law of manslaughter.
He was sentenced to five years for culpable homicide, and was eventually released from prison and placed under house arrest.
His conviction was then overturned in favour of murder following an appeal, and he was sentenced to six years.
In July 2016, South Africa's National Prosecuting Agency deemed the murder sentence "shockingly too lenient", announcing plans to appeal for a longer sentence.
South African legal commentator Llewellyn Curlewis told Sky News this will "probably be the final verdict" and says there is unlikely to be a further appeal.
"From a lawyer's perspective... this is the correct interpretation of the law," he said.
"As far as I'm concerned, this was the correct outcome at long last."