Oscar Pistorius gets five years for Reeva Steenkamp death

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been given five years in jail for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

In court in Pretoria, Judge Thokozile Masipa also gave Pistorius a three-year suspended sentence for a firearms charge. Pistorius has now been taken to the cells.

Prosecutors had called for a minimum 10-year term, and the defence argued for community service and house arrest.

Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide but cleared of murder.

'Feeling of unease'

Defence lawyer Barry Roux said his client was expected to serve 10 months in prison, with the rest under house arrest.

The BBC's Andrew Harding, in court, says the parents of Reeva Steenkamp, Barry and June, tell him they are happy with the sentence and relieved the case is over.

Reacting to the sentence, Dup De Bruyn, a lawyer for the Steenkamp family, told Reuters that "justice was served".

Judge Masipa had begun reading the sentence by saying that, although she had been aided by assessors, the decision was hers and hers alone.

Oscar appeared to wipe away a tear as the sentence was handed out as Judge Masipa said: "For a very good reason a sentence should neither be too light, nor too severe."

"Sentencing is about achieving the right balance. Sentencing is not a perfect exercise."

"The public could lose faith in the justice system if it's too weak. If it's too severe, the sentence could "break" the accused and wouldn't achieve the purpose.

"I have weighed all the relevant factors. I have also taken into account the seriousness of the offence which led to the death of the deceased, the personal circumstances of the accused, and the needs of society.

"A non-custodial sentence would send the wrong message. The following is a sentence that I consider to fair and just."

On count one, culpable homicide he was given five years in prison and on a second gun charge for another incident he was given a suspended three year prison sentence.

Source: BBC News/Mirror (South Africa).