Pistorius will not appeal sentence - lawyer

5 July 2016

Pretoria – Oscar Pistorius will not appeal his six-year jail sentence for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp, a member of his legal team said outside the High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday.

"We respect the decision of Judge Masipa and are not lodging an application for leave to appeal. Oscar will serve his sentence as handed down," Andrew Fawcett told reporters.

Told by a reporter that she had heard that the State was considering applying for leave to appeal, he said: "We will let them make that decision."

Moments earlier, Steenkamp’s parents June and Barry, and their lawyer Dup de Bruyn got into a white car parked outside the court and drove off. Several ANC Women's League members surrounded the car and sang senzeni na? (what have we done?).

Shortly after Judge Thokozile Masipa adjourned proceedings, De Bruyn told ANCWL members inside courtroom GD that the law had taken its course.

"From now on, a dignified silence," he advised them.

The league’s Jacqui Mofokeng pointed to the black doek she had around her head, and said it was a day of mourning. She said the sentence was an embarrassment to the country’s justice system.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.