Summary:
South Africa's most famous athlete has defended his manslaughter conviction for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Full article:
Oscar Pistorius' lawyers have filed court papers opposing prosecutors move to appeal the verdict and sentence in his murder trial. Pistorius' defense lawyers say that Judge Thokozile Masipa should not refer the Olympic runner's case to South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal because there has been no error in law. The defense's papers were filed Monday, according to a court stamp. Oscar Pistorius, pictured, was found guilty of the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp at his home . Reva Steenkamp, pictured, was gunned down in the house she shared with Pistorius on Valentine's Day 2013 . Prosecutors want to overturn the culpable homicide verdict to retry the case for a stiffer jail sentence . Masipa found Pistorius not guilty of murder for shooting girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a toilet cubicle door. Instead, she convicted him on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced him to five years in prison. Pistorius' lawyers say Masipa 'correctly applied' the law when she acquitted him of murder. Prosecutors must first ask for Masipa's permission to appeal against the verdict and the sentence she gave Pistorius. Steenkamp, pictured with Pistorius, at the South African sports awards ceremony in Johannesburg . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.