South African Olympic hero Oscar Pistorius Thursday was found guilty of negligence in the death of his girlfriend on Valentine's Day, 2013, but cleared of premeditated murder charges. He could have faced life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder.

Pistorius cried as he bent over and was surrounded by friends and relatives. Perhaps his most vocal supporter, Arnold Pistorius, his uncle, passionately embraced him.

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Judge Thokozile Masipa issued the preliminary rulings and then adjourned court without finalizing the verdict. She still has to rule on a reduced count of culpable homicide. That ruling would come down on Friday, she said.

Saying it was clear Pistorius was negligent when he shot Reeva Steenkamp following an argument between the couple, the judge added he didn't mean to kill her. However, firing four expanding bullets through a bathroom door behind which Steenkamp had gone was enough to warrant the negligence charge, the judge said during a daylong proceeding.

Masipa said witnesses who said they heard Steenkamp screaming the night of the killing were wrong. She said only Pistorius screamed that night and the state didn't prove premeditation.

The judge also criticized Pistorius' behavior during the trial. She said he evasive, not forthcoming and a "poor witness" when he testified. She didn't buy defense contentions he was medicated and fighting stress, which caused him to shoot Steenkamp apparently believing she was an intruder in the house.

While not premeditated, Pistorius' actions were dishonest, Masipa said. He knew right from wrong and was consciously shooting through the door at the time of the murder, she said.

South Africa doesn't use juries. Instead, the judge considered evidence along with two assessors, essentially assistants. A majority of the trio determines facts while the judge alone renders the sentence.

TagsOscar Pistorius, South Africa, Olympics, Murder, justice, Reeva Steenkamp, Thokozile Masipa, oscar pistroius trial, oscar pistorius murder, oscar pistorius update