To think that being broke and 'a broken man' doesn't mean Oscar Pistorius shouldn't serve a jail sentence

[meltedmonterayjack]

I absolutely HATE the "He's a broken man" line that is trotted out in the majority of court cases. I'm sure having to go through a long court case is a horrible experience but why on earth should that be a mitigating factor when it comes to a judge considering sentencing?

And if he hadn't done what he'd done he'd probably not be broke either. I feel really angry when I see reports on this.

When my ex-H was sentenced, his defence did the whole 'broken man' thing. He perhaps wouldn't have been a broken man if he hadn't a) committed a criminal offence in the first place and b) been caught and then tried for it. Luckily, although the sentence was way too lenient, the judge wasn't having any of it and he did get a jail sentence. I think I'm probably projecting here, but I felt really angry when Pistorius's defence came out with that cliched line.

Custodial sentences are not always a good idea but you are talking about killing someone!

How could anyone convincted criminal sue for a retrial???? The trial has followed the letter of the law and in his case you could argue there are as many people feeling sorry for him and hoping he won't go to jail so there are people who are 'baying for his blood'.

For the record I believe he should go to jail because he has committed two crimes that are by law punishable with a custodial sentence.
No one is above the law and if he did the crime he should be punished accordingly.

What's a fair sentence 'for Reeva and himself' by the way? She's already dead.

I visited in eight UK prisons for many years. Including Parkhurst, Wormwood Scrubs and Highpoint. I got to know 'my' inmates well, also many Prison Officers and teachers, and learned a great deal about prison life and the world of crime. I was also involved with a Friends (Quakers) scheme for assisting families of prisoners. I still believe a custodial sentence is necessary in the majority of Crown Court cases. It's easy to forget the victims when one is concerned about the prisoners.

Oh and by the way
Most people who end up in prison have mental health issues, and are below average IQ.

What exactly are the stats on that?

No offence taken anonacfr,

Anyone, whether they are a professional athlete, footballer or musician makes huge demands on their body and mind. Look at the antics of most footballers -
They're called divas for a reason.

We know Oscar Pistorius has made those demands on his body and mind and he seems to have cracked under the strain long before he shot Reeva dead
He may be 'blessed' with the kind of brain that is able to focus on his goal to the detriment of everything else.

And we applauded his efforts not so long ago. He overcame huge physical impediments to win, and carried our human spirit with him as he crossed the line.

I think the insomnia, paranoia, terrible rages, love of fast sports cars, racing horses, and guns, is the flip side to that unbalanced focus and drive.

And I don't think prison is a place to send anyone, least of all someone who is so unbalanced.

Anonacfr, lots to keep you busy there, I'm off to bed. [https://www.google.ie/search?q=average+prisoner+iq&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari let me google that for you]]

I appreciate your insight into the psychology of his character, and he may indeed be 'unbalanced'. But his mental state is palpably dangerous and lethal. Therefore he should be contained in some custodial way, perhaps the equivalent of Broadmoor here in UK. Wouldn't it be appalling if, for instance, he was allowed to continue his life (with some form of community service) and tragically killed someone else in an uncontrollable fit of rage?
I keep thinking with sadness of Reeva's parents. This man, the judge agreed, shot their daughter with four bullets, and to be told his punishment is a few weeks doing some community work would just about finish them off I imagine.

He can't be that broken. He has/had a new girlfriend and had an active social life again until the trial started, only a few months after he shot his girlfriend dead.

And he got caught in a brawl in a nightclub. Doesn't say much about his self control.

So PenusRising, a man who deliberately puts four dum dum bullets through a door in the knowledge there is a fellow human being the other side of that door does not deserve to go to jail? Just knob off.

I've just heard on Radio 2 he's got five years in chokey. That's more than I expected but less than he deserves.

Five years in exchange for someones life. Thats what her life is valued at. Her poor family.

Five years?! Manslaughter carries a maximum sentence in SA of fifteen years. So obviously Reeva's life is worth just a third of that.
Disgusting.

That's the sort of sentence you'd get here for a robbery, serious fraud, large-scale drug-dealing etc. But not taking the life of someone in cold blood.
I wonder if they have sentence-reduction with parole over there? Here, one serves a half of sentences less than four years, and two-thirds of sentences over four years. So for example in UK he'd only do about 3yrs 6 mths before getting parole.

I hope he vomits and cries his eyes out the entire time. But I suspect he'll be given sport-training access and privileges black inmates don't get. He'll play the disabled card and get private shower, single-cell, extra protection etc.

I suppose it's better than a bit of community service, but those poor parents, I bet they're totally gutted.

Five years in jail? For taking someone's life? Disgusting. And he'll probably be let out long before then.

5 years - that's pathetic. Does anyone know how much of that he's likely to actually serve in SA? Here he could be out in under 2 years :(

Her parents must be completely inconsolable today.

I know this is going to sound awful, but I actually hope the SA prison is as bad as someone described earlier and I hope he doesn't get to spend it in isolation.

As for your comments venus rising - I am flabberghasted. You can't honestly believe all that.

Papers saying he be out in 10 months! Shocked a human life is worth so little

Agreed LondonRach.

That you can shoot another human being, through a shut door, four times, with a bullet designed to ravage and inflict maximum damage, and serve 10 months in a jail, is absolutely astonishing to me.

What price the life of a female in South Africa?