Oscar Pistorius has been granted parole a decade after murdering his girlfriend in one of South Africa’s most notorious crimes.

The 37-year-old ‘Blade Runner’ sprinter, has been granted parole effectively from January 5, 2024, the department of correctional services said after a hearing on Friday.

Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend, 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp, in the early hours of Valentine’s Day, 2013.

He fired four shots through the closed toilet door in the bedroom of his Pretoria home, while Ms Steenkamp was inside.

Prosecutors alleged Ms Steenkamp, then aged 29, was killed while hiding in the toilet after a heated row.

Pistorius, the only witness, claimed it was a terrible accident: he was unaware his girlfriend had got up to go to the lavatory and had mistaken her for a dangerous intruder behind the door.

After a lengthy trial which enthralled South Africa, he was finally convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

He became eligible for parole earlier this year after completing half his sentence.

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