Court accepts prosecutors' appeal against Pistorius' 'negligent-killing' verdict

An application by Pistorius' defense lawyers to challenge the appeal by prosecutors, who have appealed the double amputee athlete's negligent killing conviction and want him convicted of the more serious charge of murder for shooting Steenkamp multiple times in a bathroom in his home, was dismissed by Judge Thokozile Masipa.

Masipa said that the order that she grants in this matter is to strike off the application, dismissing the defense's application, Stuff.co.nz reported.

In December, Masipa had granted prosecutors permission to take the case to South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal and challenge her own ruling to acquit the Blade Runner of murder and find him guilty instead of a lesser charge comparable to manslaughter.

However, Pistorius' lawyers were arguing that Masipa should not have allowed that appeal.

The Olympian and multiple Paralympics champion is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for culpable homicide, or negligent killing, and could be eligible for release from the jail in the capital Pretoria in August to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.

However, if prosecutors succeed in their appeal against the culpable homicide conviction in the Supreme Court of Appeal and have it upgraded to murder, Pistorius would face a minimum of 15 years in jail, the report added.