Oscar Pistorius to be sentenced for murder on July 6

The date for Oscar Pistorius' sentencing for the murder of former girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp has been set for July 6.

It comes as the Paralympian appeared in court with his lawyer today to argue that he deserves leniency when he is sentenced.

The double-amputee was initially handed a manslaughter conviction over Reeva's 2013 death but this was overturned last year by an appeals court, which convicted Pistorius of the more serious charge of murder.

The state prosecutor, talking at Oscar Pistorius' sentencing hearing has said that it does not matter whether he thought that Reeva or an intruder was in the bathroom.

Pistorius went to the bathroom and fired four shots, he said.

Not knowing who was behind the door when firing those shots cannot be a mitigating factor in the case, unless the life of an intruder is less important than Reeva's life, he argued.

Gerrie Nel, state prosecutor, said that in legislation the 15 year sentence for murder is the minimum acceptable sentence for murder and therefore the starting point for any sentencing considerations.

Yet, he added, courts had moved away from this starting point "for the flimsiest of reasons".

The athlete was asked to take off his prosthetic legs by his defence lawyer to show that his disability makes him vulnerable.

Gerrie Nel, state prosecutor in the Oscar Pistorius sentencing trial, has said that he wants the court to lift the ban on showing the photos of Reeva Steenkamp after she was killed by the athlete.

His comments come shortly after Pistorius' defence lawyer asked him to remove his prosthetics and show the court what he looked like on his stumps.

Barry Roux, Oscar Pistorius' defence lawyer, asked the athlete to remove his prosthetics and to show the court what he looks like without his stumps.

He had previously been wearing a suit, but after a short break, re-entered the court room in a hoodie and shorts.

He said to the court that the man they were looking at, standing on his stumps, was the man who was scared for his life at 3am, and thought an intruder was in his home.

Barry Roux, defending for Oscar Pistorius in his sentencing trial, has told the court that Pistorius has already paid physically, emotionally, and socially since he made the decision to fire his gun.

He must "live with this for the rest of his life", he can never resume his career, and will punish himself "far more than any court" can, Roux said.

Barry Roux is arguing that Pistorius should not be given the mandatory sentence of 15 years, due to mitigating circumstances.

The defending lawyer for Oscar Pistorius has said that there is a "misconception" that Oscar wanted to kill his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Barry Roux, defending for the athlete, said that there are "substantial and compelling circumstances" to pass a sentence that deviates from the mandatory 15 years.

Oscar Pistorius was a man on his stumps who did not want to kill his girlfriend, and was in fear of his life, he said, and therefore his sentence should be reduced.

He also referred to a case where a father mistakenly shot his own daughter, thinking she was an intruder. The man was not prosecuted.