Johannesburg: Convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius has said he believes his late girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp would want him to devote his life to charity rather than be sent back to prison for killing her.
The South African former Paralympian athlete, who is awaiting a jail sentence for murdering Steenkamp in 2013, told British broadcaster ITV that he did not kill his partner intentionally.
"I don't want to go back to jail. I don't want to have to waste my life sitting there," he said in footage released ahead of his first television interview, which will be screened on Friday.
"I would like to believe that if Reeva could look down upon me that she would want me to live that life."
He was found guilty of murder in March, after spending a year behind bars on his earlier conviction of the lesser crime of culpable homicide, the equivalent of manslaughter.
"Reeva was a fantastic person, but if (people believe) that I took her life intentionally, which has not been found, then it's a very sad thing," Pistorius said.
"I can smell the blood. I can feel the warmness of it on my hands.
"I look back and I think, I always think -- how did this possibly happen?"
His sentence will be handed down by Pretoria High Court on July 6.
The South African former Paralympian athlete, who is awaiting a jail sentence for murdering Steenkamp in 2013, told British broadcaster ITV that he did not kill his partner intentionally.
"I don't want to go back to jail. I don't want to have to waste my life sitting there," he said in footage released ahead of his first television interview, which will be screened on Friday.
"I would like to believe that if Reeva could look down upon me that she would want me to live that life."
Advertisement
He was found guilty of murder in March, after spending a year behind bars on his earlier conviction of the lesser crime of culpable homicide, the equivalent of manslaughter.
Advertisement
"Reeva was a fantastic person, but if (people believe) that I took her life intentionally, which has not been found, then it's a very sad thing," Pistorius said.
Advertisement
"I can smell the blood. I can feel the warmness of it on my hands.
Advertisement
"I look back and I think, I always think -- how did this possibly happen?"
Advertisement
His sentence will be handed down by Pretoria High Court on July 6.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Oscar Pistorius, Jailed For Girlfriend's Murder In 2013, To Walk Free On Friday What Happens To "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius On His Release From Jail? Oscar Pistorius' Parole Conditions Include Therapy For His Anger Issues World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report "Re-Exam Only On Concrete Footing": Supreme Court On NEET-UG Row "Sell Golgappas?": Kangana Ranaut On Shankaracharya's Remark On E Shinde Did A Massive Dam In China Slowed Earth's Rotation? Truth Behind Viral Claim Ukraine Rushes To Create AI-Enabled War Drones Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.