State to appeal Oscar Pistorius conviction

South African prosecutors on Wednesday won their bid to appeal the culpable homicide sentence handed down to Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend and will now seek a murder conviction, the case will now be heard in South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, the country's judicial capital. 

However, Judge Masipa dismissed the state’s application to appeal his sentence.

“In the result in respect of the application ... The following order is granted. One, the application for leave to appeal against sentence is dismissed,” she said.

However, on the application against his conviction, she said: “I am satisfied that the points raised by the applicant [the state] are indeed a question of law.” 

The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein will deal with the judgment to re-examine the matter of dolus eventualis in the case. 

Prosecution lawyers applied for an appeal after Judge Thokozile Masipa in October sentenced the Paralympic gold medallist to five years in jail after a trial that attracted worldwide interest.

Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp in his home on Valentine's Day last year. He said he thought a dangerous intruder was in the house; prosecutors allege he killed his girlfriend after an argument.