By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
The sentencing of Oscar Pistorius is due to begin on Monday - and the Olympic athlete could make a personal plea to the court in an effort to avoid jail.
Pistorius was cleared just over a month ago of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp but was found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa at a Pretoria court of culpable homicide.
The sentencing process in South Africa now begins.
But it is likely to take much longer than under UK law and may even involve Pistorius addressing the court again to argue mitigating factors.
There is an opportunity for both the prosecution and defence to call witnesses and prosecutor Gerrie Nel will be looking for a lengthy jail term for Pistorius, having failed to secure a murder conviction.
Pistorius shot Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year but the judge concluded the athlete had not intended to kill the model.
Judge Masipa found the runner was negligent when he raced down the corridor towards his bathroom armed with a gun - then fired four bullets through the locked toilet door.
But essentially she believed what the athlete told the court, that his actions were a mistake.
Pistorius said he believed an intruder was in his Pretoria home.
Ms Steenkamp's mother June said she was disappointed with the verdict and that the judge had got it wrong.
Both families are expected to return to court for the sentencing process.
If he is sent to jail, the longest sentence Judge Masipa is expected to dish out would be 15 years.
But many believe Pistorius could avoid prison altogether with alternative forms of punishment including a suspended sentence or a fine.
His defence team is expected to highlight once more the athlete's disability as a double amputee.
They will also point to him being a first-time offender, his apology to the Steenkamp family and his willingness to give evidence in court.
The prosecution is likely to paint Pistorius as someone who is a danger to society.
The judge has already called the defendant evasive and an untruthful witness.
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Gallery: Profile: Oscar Pistorius
Pistorius was born in Johannesburg on November 22, 1986. A congenital condition meant he had no bones in his lower legs.
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He had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, and now runs on carbon fibre prosthetic blades.
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Pistorius won the 200m final in a record time at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. In 2006 he finished sixth in the able-bodied event in South Africa.
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Ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled his blades did not give him an unfair advantage. But he failed to qualify for the men's 400m.
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He won gold in all three of his events at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics - the 100m, 200m and 400m. He set a world record in the 400m (sport class T44).
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He won the 400m in 47.28s and the 100m in 11.04s at the 2011 Paralympic World Cup. The athlete later ran the 400m in 45.07s - within the Olympic qualifying time.
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The Blade Runner won the 400m silver medal in 45.52s at the 2012 African Championships. He just missed the 45.30s he needed to qualify for the Olympics.
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Pistorius was selected by the South African Olympic Committee to run the 4x400m relay and 400m at the 2012 London Olympics. He said it was "one of the happiest days of my life".
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He had been dating the model Reeva Steenkamp since late 2012. She was found dead at his home on February 14, 2013.
It is thought she may call a further short adjournment to mull over what she hears over the coming days, before announcing her final decision on sentencing.
Ms Steenkamp's family say they want justice for their daughter.
Both the prosecution and Pistorius have the option to appeal once the trial is finally over.
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Gallery: Reeva Steenkamp Life In Pictures
Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was born in Cape Town and grew up in Port Elizabeth. She went to a convent school and studied law. She was a keen horse rider until she broke her back.
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She moved to Johannesburg from Cape Town to model for Avon cosmetics. In 2012, Reeva was voted number 45 in the South African FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll.
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She featured as a celebrity contestant on BBC Lifestyle show Baking Made Easy in 2012.
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Her former fashion editor, Barbara Robertson, described the model as being "sweet, and down-to-earth" with the "it factor". She compared her to an "early Kate Moss".
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The model was a keen Twitter user, and had more than 34,000 followers. She used the site to promote women's rights and empowerment.
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Miss Steenkamp described herself as a "Child of God" on her Twitter profile.
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Reeva Steenkamp on the set of reality TV show Tropika Island of Treasure (Pic: Stimulii)
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