South Africas Pistorius denied parole a decade after killing girlfriend

'In simple English, half the sentence is yet to be served'

South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius was refused parole on Friday after seeking early release from prison, a decade after he shot and killed his girlfriend, lawyers and authorities said. 

 Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp, a model, in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013, firing four times through the bathroom door of his ultra-secure Pretoria house, in a killing that shocked the world. Steenkamp's mother and family described their "huge sense of relief" after the decision. 

Known worldwide as the "Blade Runner" for his carbon-fiber prosthetics, Pistorius was found guilty of murder and given a 13-year jail sentence in 2017 after a lengthy trial and several appeals. He had pleaded not guilty and denied killing Steenkamp in a rage, saying he mistook her for a burglar.

Once the poster boy of the Paralympic movement for pushing for greater recognition and acceptance of disabled athletes, Pistorius went from public hero to convicted murderer in a trial that drew worldwide interest.

The Department of Correctional Services said Friday a parole board found Pistorius had not completed the minimum detention period required to be let out.

"He will have to appear again next year and they will then look into the profile and make a decision in terms of his placement," Correctional Services National Spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said. "In simple English, half the sentence is yet to be served.” 

Earlier Pistorius was reported to have served more than half, having started his term in 2014.