A South African prison official today recommended Oscar Pistorius clean a museum as punishment for shooting dead his girlfriend, sparking prosecution anger in a court weighing what sentence to give the Paralympian.
Defence witness, Joel Maringa, a social worker in South Africa's notoriously crowded and brutal jails, said Pistorius should not go to prison, but receive "correctional supervision" through three years of house arrest. He should also clean a Pretoria museum for 16 hours a month, Maringa said.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel described Maringa's suggestion as "shockingly inappropriate".
Pistorius was found guilty last month of negligently killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013.
The 27-year-old double amputee athlete was cleared of the more serious charge of murder. The lesser verdict shocked the country and fuelled criticism of South Africa's legal system.
His sentencing, which began today, was expected to run for most of the week.
The "Blade Runner" could face up to 15 years in prison, or could dodge a jail term altogether with a non-custodial sentence.
"We are basically saying that Oscar Pistorius should not be destroyed," said Maringa, adding that correctional supervision would mean "he will get an opportunity to restructure and modify his behaviour".
In tough cross-examination, Nel questioned whether Maringa understood the seriousness of the crime that Pistorius had committed, after he admitted he did not have detailed knowledge of the case.
Reeva's father Barry Steenkamp held his head with his hand as Maringa spoke.
It emerged during evidence that Barry Steenkamp had suffered a stroke after Reeva's death, and her mother has repeatedly collapsed on the floor in tears, their lives shattered by the tragedy.
A friend of Reeva's, Desi Myers, expressed her disbelief at the community service suggestion, saying: "I don't want to think, I don't want to talk."
Maringa was one of three witnesses called by Pistorius's defence lawyers today, who are fighting to keep him out of jail.
