Oscar Pistorius verdict live

[wolfie]

I'm not sorry in the least. From what I've heard he's an arrogant, selfish, spiteful individual with a vicious nasty streak. You cannot fire four times through a door knowing that someone was on the other side without wanting to do them extremely serious harm. I hope his life is now ruined.

Sorry, Em but I totally agree with QB on this one. He has had an awful disability to overcome but so do many, many other people but this young man has let celebrity go to his head to the extent that he thinks he can get away with anything.

Maureen

So do I, Maureen.

Any one of us, put yourselves in the position of having your SIL, or prospective SIL, shoot your daughter; think about it Em, would you still feel sorry for him if it was your daughter?? With all the security that was in place where he lived, gated community, guards etc. it was an OTT reaction. Wouldn't you just first check that your partner was in the room/your bed, before heading off, with a gun, to shoot indiscriminately through a closed door when you were in no harm????

Disability is no defence; he was known to have, and to use, a great number of guns, some legal, some not, a history of violence towards females and , IMO, thought he could get away with anything because of his supposed celebrity status. The recent Invictus Games has shown us how so many can overcome the devastating results of disability to the good.

IMO, the verdict should have been murder, there was no justifiable cause for his excessive use of a firearm. The fact that life in SA is so different from the UK is not an excuse for a lenient verdict. Pistorious led a life of privilege compared to those outside the gates of his guarded community.

His tears were only shed for himself.

[Quizzical Bob]

I'm not sorry in the least. From what I've heard he's an arrogant, selfish, spiteful individual with a vicious nasty streak. You cannot fire four times through a door knowing that someone was on the other side without wanting to do them extremely serious harm. I hope his life is now ruined.

Sorry, Em but I totally agree with QB on this one. He has had an awful disability to overcome but so do many, many other people but this young man has let celebrity go to his head to the extent that he thinks he can get away with anything.

Maureen

So do I, Maureen.

Any one of us, put yourselves in the position of having your SIL, or prospective SIL, shoot your daughter; think about it Em, would you still feel sorry for him if it was your daughter?? With all the security that was in place where he lived, gated community, guards etc. it was an OTT reaction. Wouldn't you just first check that your partner was in the room/your bed, before heading off, with a gun, to shoot indiscriminately through a closed door when you were in no harm????

Disability is no defence; he was known to have, and to use, a great number of guns, some legal, some not, a history of violence towards females and , IMO, thought he could get away with anything because of his supposed celebrity status. The recent Invictus Games has shown us how so many can overcome the devastating results of disability to the good.

IMO, the verdict should have been murder, there was no justifiable cause for his excessive use of a firearm. The fact that life in SA is so different from the UK is not an excuse for a lenient verdict. Pistorious led a life of privilege compared to those outside the gates of his guarded community.

His tears were only shed for himself.

Surely, if you're under threat your first thought would be for your loved one and her safety?

[The Tinker]

Em is obviously entitled to her own opinion and, nothing we add to this will change it.

I do struggle to agree with her but realise that everyone is different. It always makes me wonder about people when you hear they write to people on death row and in prison and then have relationships with them - I guess a psychologist could answer why some people feel sorry for the criminal (as pistorius is, as convicted).

[Boris+]

I have to agree that perhaps writing to prisoners on death row etc and forming a relationship is one step too far - well it is for me.

As far as the situation of a person shooting four times through a locked door - he says he didn't know who was on the other side, but was convinced that it was 'an intruder' - and I can't blame anyone for defending themselves. It is very sad that it was his girlfriend who died and not an intruder who was intent on harming Mr Pistorius; but as far as the question 'how would I have felt if it was my daughter' is concerned - well it wouldn't have got that far simply because it is highly unlikely that my daughter would have been in such a situation.

Em

[jay-ell71]

Words fail me now.

[suespud]

Words fail me now.

Totally agree Jay,

[Meg 50]

Words fail me now.

while I could see what Em was driving at originally - anyone who is 'driven' to crime for whatever reason deserves our sympathy (love the person, hate the action etc etc ) ....

words have now failed me too