Oscar Pistorius murder appeal denied, now faces up to 15 years for murder conviction

Pistorius

3 years after he fatally shot and killed his girlfriend, South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius will now appear in Pretoria’s High Court in April to face sentencing after the Constitutional Court dismissed his appeal “for lack of prospects of success" and found him guilty of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's day in 2013.

The prosecution will argue for a sentence of at least 15 years at next month’s hearing, a spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority told SA local news media. 

The court had stated in its arugment in papers filed to the Constitutional Court that it was not in the interests of justice for Pistorius to be allowed to appeal the murder conviction.

Pistorius already served a year in jail, but was released in October, to serve the remainder of his term at home, with strict provisions on when he could leave home and how far he could travel. But now faces 15 years in jail.

The Constitutional Court ruling was made Wednesday but was made public Thursday.