BREAKING NEWS:
The double amputee athlete has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for culpable homicide also known as manslaughter. More news later
CNN.com

UPDATED:
(CNN) -- From a globally lauded athlete to convicted killer, Oscar Pistorius' fall from grace culminated Tuesday with a five-year sentence in the shooting death of his girlfriend.
The sentence was imposed for the charge of culpable homicide, which in South Africa means a person was killed unintentionally, but unlawfully.
He was also given a three-year sentence on a firearms charge, but it was suspended for five years on condition he is not found guilty of another crime where there is negligence involving a firearm during that period.
That count related to an occasion when Pistorius discharged a loaded handgun under a table in a busy restaurant. No one was hurt.
During his trial, the double-amputee sprinter often sobbed at the mention of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp's name. He insisted that he mistook her for an intruder when he shot her through a toilet door on Valentine's Day 2013.
But there was very little visible reaction from Pistorius as the sentence was read.
Pistorius' defense has called for a sentence of house arrest and community service.

'Mine and mine alone'
Giving her reasoning Tuesday, Judge Thokozile Masipa emphasized that the decision on sentencing would be "mine and mine alone."
She pointed out that sentencing is not an exact science but relies on an assessment of elements including the nature and seriousness of the crime, the personal circumstances of the accused and the interests of society.
She said she would also take into account the factors in sentencing of retribution, deterrence and rehabilitation.
In any case, she said, "sentencing is about achieving the right balance."