VERDICT DUE FOR OSCAR PISTORIUS

The judge in the Oscar Pistorius trial has begun delivering her verdict on the athlete, a process that may take hours.

The Olympic double-amputee sprinter faces 25 years in jail if found guilty of premeditated murder.

He denies intentionally killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year, saying he thought there was an intruder.

The judge could also find him guilty of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, for which he would face a long jail term.

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Possible scenarios
Verdict	What it means	Sentence
Premeditated murder	Intended and planned to unlawfully kill Reeva Steenkamp, or an intruder	Mandatory life term - 25 years before parole
Common-law murder	Unlawfully intended to kill in the heat of the moment but without "malice aforethought". Either: Dolus directus (direct intention), shot at door intending to kill Dolus eventualis (aware of likely outcome), knew someone might be killed and still fired gun	Minimum of 15 years up to 20 years, at judge's discretion
Culpable homicide (manslaughter)	No intention to kill. Takes into account disability, but actions negligent and not in keeping with a reasonable person	Maximum of 15 years, possibly between seven and 10 years
Discharging a firearm in public	Two counts for allegedly firing a gun through a car sunroof and discharging a gun at a restaurant	A fine or up to five years - for each charge
Illegal possession of ammunition	In possession of .38 bullets for which he has no licence	A fine or up to 15 years

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Mr Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to all the charges he faces, including two counts of shooting a firearm in public and the illegal possession of ammunition.

During his closing remarks last month, his lawyer Barry Roux conceded that the athlete should be found guilty of negligence for discharging a firearm in a restaurant - which carries a maximum penalty of five years.

The BBC's Andrew Harding has gained access to the house where the shooting took place

Analysis: BBC's Andrew Harding in Pretoria

The cameras have been reinstalled in courtroom GD - ready to catch the reaction of Oscar Pistorius as he finally learns his fate.

But the athlete and those following outside will have to wait - quite possibly until Friday - for Judge Thokosile Masipa to reach her conclusion. Before then, she will spend hours assessing the credibility of all 37 witnesses - not least Mr Pistorius's own performance.

The prosecution insists it has proved the athlete deliberately shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He maintains it was a terrible mistake - that he thought she was an intruder.

Two assessors have helped the judge to reach her verdict - and can even overrule her. Many legal experts believe an acquittal is unlikely and that more legal battles lie ahead.

CREDIT SOURCE: BBC