The Guardian’s Africa correspondent writes from Pretoria of the moment those in court heard the six-year sentence handed down to Pistorius:

The 29-year-old former athlete showed little emotion, but looked relieved. His family made no immediate statement.

The sentence was much lower than many had expected. Public prosectors had demanded the mandatory minimum for murder of 15 years. An appeal from Pistorius is considered unlikely, though public prosecutors may decide to challenge the sentence.

However, supporters of the Steenkamps said: