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BLADE RUNNER FREED
Oscar Pistorius to be FREED on parole over murder of Reeva Steenkamp just weeks after her dad ‘died of a broken heart’
Pistorius' last bid for freedom, in March this year, was denied
CONVICTED killer Oscar Pistorius is set to be freed from jail in just weeks after serving over half of his 13 year sentence for murdering his girlfriend.
Reeva Steenkamp's mother slammed the disgraced Paralympian today as she revealed her husband died of a broken heart just weeks before the killer's parole hearing.
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Pistorius made the shameless second bid for freedom today after he murdered model girlfriend Reeva in 2013.
The former sprinter, now 37, will be released from the South African prison on January 5 after serving over half of his sentence for 13 years and five months.
A statement from the court today described Pistorius as a "first time offender with a positive support system", announcing the parole board's decision to release him.
A prison spokesperson said: "Parole does not mean the end of the sentence. It is still part of the sentence.
"It only means the inmate will complete the sentence outside a correctional facility."
The parole is expected to last until December 5 2029 and he will be subject to conditions until then.
He is reportedly expected to spend the parole period at his uncle's mansion in a wealthy area of South Africa, reports.
Pistorious shot dead model Reeva, 29, with four bullets fired through the locked door of the bathroom in the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013.
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He shot her in the head, hip and arm and later claimed in court that it was only when he broke the bathroom door down that he realised she was in there.
He has always claimed the shooting was a mistake, saying he thought she was an intruder, and the highly publicised case attracted global attention.
After a round of appeals and challenges in court, Pistorius - dubbed the "Blade Runner" because of his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs - was jailed in 2016.
The parole hearing was held today in Atteridgeville prison, just outside Pretoria where Pistorious lived when he killed Reeva.
Reeva's mother June, was reportedly not opposing parole and did not attend the hearing today, the reports.
Her father Barry died in September and June told the parole board today that she believes he died from a broken heart after the grief of losing his daughter.
Reeva's parents strongly objected to the killer's release ahead of his last bid for freedom in March, but they had no power to block it.
Today June told the court in a victim impact statement: "I have no doubt that Barry died of a broken heart.
"No parent should have to bury a child and most certainly not in the circumstances that prevailed in the demise of Reeva.
"I do not believe Oscar’s version that he thought the person in the toilet was a burglar. In fact, I do not know anybody who does."
THE MURDER OF REEVA STEENKAMP AND TRIAL OF OSCAR PISTORIUS
FEBRUARY 2013
Oscar Pistorius shoots his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead at home on Valentine's Day
SEPTEMBER 2014
Pistorius is convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years in jail - and later released on parole
DECEMBER 2015
The Supreme Court of Appeal overturns a lower judge's ruling and finds him guilty of murder
JULY 2016
He is sent to prison for six years in a ruling dubbed 'shockingly lenient'
NOVEMBER 2017
The Supreme Court of Appeal extends Pistorius' murder sentence to 13 years and five months
JUNE 2022
Pistorius meets Rita Steenkamp's father as part of a victim-offender program
MARCH 2023
He is denied parole after serving nearly half of his 13-year sentence
NOVEMBER 2023
The court agrees to release Pistorius on parole on January 5 2024
Reeva's brother Adam Steenkamp last night made a plea that Pistorious be kept behind bars to finish his sentence.
He told : "I already thought the original sentence was lenient in itself.
"I support and understand the reasons for someone getting parole but this is about my sister and I would prefer he serves the time he was given."
Judges in South Africa previously admitted they failed to fully backdate Pistorious' jail term when he was first convicted.
It meant that 506 days he had already served were not included - and made him eligible for parole in March this year instead of late 2024.
Pistorious was denied parole during the closed-door hearing in late March and he was set to face another seven years behind bars.
Tania Koen, a lawyer representing Reeva's family, said at the time the result was a "huge sense of relief" for mum June, who did attend the hearing.
As part of his rehabilitation, Pistorius met June and Barry in 2022.
Barry revealed the runner "wailed like a child" as he tried to explain his actions and refused to accept he was a murderer.
In South Africa, offenders are automatically eligible for parole consideration after serving half of their sentences.
Pistorious has now served over half of his sentence, 13 years and five months.
The Department of Corrections previously said a parole board on November 24 would decide whether Pistorius is "suitable or not for social integration".
They would have considered his conviction, his behaviour while behind bars and any risk he might pose to the public before they make the decision.
However, when the ex-athlete is released on parole, he will be kept under close police protection due to fears of revenge attacks, reported.
He was initially sentenced to six years in jail for Reeva's murder - but the term was doubled after the state appealed it was too lenient.
Speaking to The Sun on the tenth anniversary of the killing in February this year, Reeva's brother, Adam, said the athlete should not be allowed out of jail early and must serve his full term.
He also fears their family will never know the truth of what happened to Reeva when she was gunned down in 2013.
"I absolutely stand by his view that Oscar is unrepentant and obviously still does not take responsibility for the murder of my sister and that he should continue to serve his time," he said.
Adam paid tribute to his "wonderful" sister, and said his family will "never come to terms" with her death.
"I miss her every day. What happened that morning ten years ago has had devastating consequences on everyone," he said.
In 2012, Pistorius became the first double amputee to compete at the Olympics, and in the same year won two gold medals at the Paralympics.
A celebrity around the world, his relationship with model and law graduate Reeva attracted attention from the masses.
When he murdered her on Valentine’s Day 2013 - the world was left shocked.
In 2014 he was charged with culpable homicide, South Africa's equivalent of manslaughter, and began a five-year jail sentence.
In 2015, after he is released to house arrest at his uncle's home, the Supreme Court overturns the ruling and finds him guilty of murder.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Pistorius was then sent back to jail for a sentence of six years - which critics slammed as “shockingly lenient”.
The sentence was upped to 13 years and five months and Pistorius made attempted bids for parole during his time in prison, until today, when a release date was set for January 5.
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