I've never believed his excuse.
With just the two of them in the house, the first thing anyone would do if they heard strange noises is make sure their loved ones were safe.
I simply don't believe he leapt out of bed and didn't notice his girlfriend wasn't beside him.
Most of us have probably experienced that freaky feeling in the middle of the night, when we have either been woken by a strange noise or your husband/ wife/partner has hissed in your ear, "did you hear that"?
You lie completely still, listening, before deciding it was just the wind or hubby gets up, turns on lights and looks out the window. If there was danger, the first thing you would do is make sure your family is safe.
Why would someone shoot through a locked bathroom door when they had no idea where their girlfriend was?
It just doesn't add up to me.
I feel so sorry for Reeva's parents. They have not only lost a daughter but now the man responsible for killing her is going to be out and about living his life while their daughter will never get the chance to marry, have children or further her career.
She will never grow old and their lives will never be the same.
In absolute contrast to this lenient sentence, another headline on the page said "In solitary for 43 years". Albert Woodfox has been in solitary confinement in Louisiana State Penitentiary since 1972. He was one of three inmates accused of killing a prison guard.
Now if he did do this and there was no doubt of his guilt then yes, he should be in prison - but solitary confinement for 43 years?
One judge described it as torture.
I Googled his name and found this: "According to a July 2013 press release by Amnesty International, Woodfox was convicted of the murder of a prison guard in 1973, yet no physical evidence links him to the crime " potentially exculpatory DNA evidence has been lost and the testimony of the main eyewitness has been discredited".
He is one of three men, known as the Angola Three, convicted of the murder and has been the subject of documentary films.
Even the widow of the prison guard has expressed skepticism, saying in 2008 "If they did not do this - and I believe that they didn't - they have been living a nightmare for 36 years!"
The contrast between these two men is just unbelievable. Yes, Pistorius had no criminal record whereas Woodfox had been sent to jail for armed robbery. He was a member of the prison's chapter of the Black Panthers and became an activist, trying to improve conditions in prison.
But 43 years in solitary confinement for one man who happens to be black and 10 months in jail for another man who is white?
There is something very wrong with this picture.
-Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.
