Oscar Pistorius will be sentenced this week in connection with the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's day last year.
Pistorius shot her through the bathroom door, claiming he thought she was a burglar. After a trial that gripped South Africa and was widely reported around the world, he was found not guilty in September this year of murder but guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide. He was also found guilty on a separate charge of negligently discharging a firearm in a restaurant in Johannesburg in January 2013.
The sentencing process, in which defence and prosecution witnesses will be heard, is expected to conclude by the end of this week. Under South Africa's legal system, both sides are able to put forward witnesses to back arguments for lighter or heavier sentencing. These may include psychologists and medical experts who might testify to his state of mind since the killing and the likelihood of his re-offending. His disability - he uses artificial legs - may also be a factor in terms of his vulnerability while in prison. Defence witnesses take the stand first, with the prosecution likely to follow with arguments about the extent of his negligence in firing through a closed door. It is thought that Reeva Steenkamp's family are unlikely to give evidence.
Pistorius appeared to demonstrate mental fragility during the trial, frequently breaking down in tears. Testifying for the defence, his personal psychiatrist Dr Lore Hartzenburg has said: "Some of the sessions were just him weeping, crying and me holding him. Other sessions we could get somewhere." She said the sessions began as grief counselling and evolved into trauma counselling.
Brought up as an evangelical Christian, Pistorius reportedly prayed and held Bible studies at his home throughout his trial. A psychiatric report said that he had an elevated risk of suicide but that "his religious beliefs and his strong family ties currently mediate against this possibility".
