South African prosecutors are expected to press for the toughest sentence against Paralympian Oscar Pistorius at the conclusion of his trial this week.
In December the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the double amputee runner's manslaughter conviction and changed it to murder.
In South Africa murder carries a mandatory sentence of 15 years minimum - although there is a caveat built in "unless there are substantial and compelling circumstances".
The athlete was refused leave to appeal to the Constitutional Court, finally exhausting all legal avenues to avoid jail.
Several reports suggest his girlfriend's father, Barry Steenkamp, may give evidence in the coming days in an attempt to persuade the judge to levy a long sentence.
Mr Steenkamp did not attend most of the trial due to ill health and if he does testify it is likely to be very emotional and powerful.
It is more than three years since the athlete shot dead his law graduate girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in a toilet cubicle at his home in Pretoria.
The runner has steadfastly insisted the shooting was a mistake. He said he thought an intruder had entered his home in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013 and he feared for their safety.
He fired four shots through a locked toilet door, killing his girlfriend. She was hit in the head, hip and arm.
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