‘A relief’: Reeva’s family in tears as Pistorius found guilty of murder

He was released from prison just last month after less than a year behind bars, but now Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced again.

An appeals court in South Africa this morning ruled that the former Olympian is guilty of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, meaning he could now spend up to 15 years in prison.

The family of Reeva, a South Afrtican model, spoke after today's ruling, with her father saying through tears that the new result came as a huge relief.

"For us as a family, we can get on with our lives now and I hope his family can get on with their lives now," Barry Steenkamp said.

Oscar was originally found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison, of which he served eleven months before being released on house arrest.

Reeva was shot to death through a bathroom door in the early hours of Valentine's Day, 2013. Oscar's manslaughter sentence came from his insistence that he thought she was an intruder in his home and did not know who he was firing at.

However the appeals court found that Oscar shot with an intent to kill, regardless of who his intended victim was, and so was guilty of murder.

South African law includes the concept of dolus eventualis, which means that a person can be found guilty of murder if they foresaw the possibility of someone dying through their actions.

"The identity of his victim is irrelevant to his guilt," Justice Leach of the South African Supreme Court of Appeal said today.

It is not known yet when the former track star will return to jail. He is currently under house arrest at his uncle's home.