The barbed response, from prosecutor Gerrie Nel, followed comments by probation officer Joel Maringa.

He took to the stand at the start of Oscar Pistorius' sentencing hearing, a month after the South African's conviction for culpable homicide.

Judge Thokozile Masipa will decide whether to impose a jail term on the athlete.

He could be jailed for up to 15 years, although judge Masipa can also impose a suspended sentence or a fine.

The hearing in Pretoria is expected to last up to a week, with both prosecution and defence teams to call a number of witnesses.

Maringa, a social worker for the Office of Correctional Services, told the court: "The accused will benefit from correctional supervision.

"We are basically not saying that he should be destroyed because he will still be coming back into the community."

There is huge international interest in the fate of Oscar Pistorius after he was convicted last month of culpable homicide ©AFP/Getty Images



Prosecutor Nel said that would amount to "no sentence" for the 27-year-old.

The court also heard from psychologist Lore Hartzenberg.

She described Pistorius as a "broken man" after the death of Steenkamp, who he shot through a toilet door on February 14 last year believing there was an intruder in his Pretoria home.

"What we are left with is a broken man who has lost everything, his relationship with Reeva Steenkamp, his moral and professional reputation, his career and therefore his earnings," she added.

"Flashbacks of the shooting will be mental images he always carries with him."

The hearing continues tomorrow.