The State’s application for leave to appeal paralympian athlete Oscar Pistorius’ sentence and conviction is expected to be heard in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Tuesday would mark Pistorius’ 49th day at the Kgosi Mampuru II prison since being sentenced to five years in jail by Judge Thokozile Masipa on October 21.

The State filed papers last month calling for a heavier conviction and harsher sentence to be imposed on the athlete.

In the court papers, the State described the sentence imposed on him as “shockingly light and inappropriate”.

Pistorius testified that he accidentally shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door at his Pretoria home on Valentine’s Day last year.

He said he thought she was an intruder.

He was sentenced to five years for culpable homicide, and three years suspended for five years for discharging a firearm at Tasha’s restaurant in Sandton, Johannesburg, in January 2013.

Law expert Mannie Witz said on Monday Pistorius could get bail if the State succeeded in its application.

There were also reports that his defence team would challenge the appeal on the grounds that the State was challenging Judge Masipa’s factual findings rather than her legal findings. SAPA