South Africa prosecutors start arguments in appeal court to convict Pistorius of murder

Reuters

November 3, 2015 at 3:14 a.m.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel reads a document before an appeal by state prosecutors against South African paralympian Oscar Pistorius's conviction last year at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein, November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

BLOEMFONTEIN (Reuters) - South African state prosecutors began their appeal to have paralympian Oscar Pistorius' conviction scaled up to murder from culpable homicide for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013. Pistorius was released from prison into house arrest last month after serving a fifth of his five-year prison term. During the trial, the state failed to convince judge Thokozile Masipa of Pistorius' intent to kill when he fired, leading to his conviction for negligent killing or culpable homicide. (Reporting by Stella Mapenzauswa; Editing by James Macharia)