Next week Oscar Pistorius will return to court, where he will be sentenced in the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last year.

Pistorius, a famed Paralympic athlete nicknamed the "Blade Runner," fatally shot Steenkamp on Feb. 14, 2013. The pro-athlete pleaded not guilty to first degree murder, arguing that he shot her by mistake because he thought she was an intruder in his home. However, prosecutors in the high profile case claimed that he killed her out of rage after the couple had an argument in the wee hours of Valentine's Day.

Last month, Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa ruled that Pistorius is guilty of culpable homicide, a lesser charge also known as manslaughter, which is punishable with up to 15 years in prison, reports Fox News.

According to the judge, there was not enough evidence to support the prosecutor's argument that Pistorius knew Steenkamp was in a locked bathroom door in his home when he opened fire in the predawn hours of Valentine's Day last year. The judge also said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to kill the 29-year-old model.

"The conduct of the accused shortly after the incident is inconsistent with the conduct of someone who intended to commit murder," she said of Pistorius, who shouted for help, called an ambulance and prayed that God would save her life after the shooting.

"From the above it cannot be said that the accused did not entertain a genuine belief that there was an intruder in the bathroom who posed a direct threat to his life," Masipa added.

Moving forward, Pistorius is scheduled to return to the high court in Pretoria to begin the sentencing phase of his trial, which is expected to last for most of the week. The sentence can range from a hefty fine to over a decade behind bars.

According to a legal expert speaking on the condition of anonymity, Judge Masipa will likely prepare a written judgment on sentencing since the  high profile case involved complex legal issues, reports IOL News.