Detained South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius showed the mean temper that the mother of his former girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp wrote in her memoirs after the athlete learned that his murder acquittal could be appealed.

A fellow prisoner at the Kgosi Mampuru II jail in Pretoria shared that Pistorius, more popularly called the Blade Runner because of his artificial legs, stood up and stomped when he heard over the radio of Judge Thokozile Masipa's decision.

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Pistorius then headed for the gym and lifted weights "like it was going out of fashion" to show how angry he was at the possibility the prison could be his home for at least 15 more years, the prisoner recounted.

In arguing for an appeal, Chief Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said, quoted by ABC, "I say with utmost respect, too much mercy is shown. Perhaps the element of mercy was over exaggerated."

The decision dashed the Paralympian's expectation of being released in August 2015 and serving under house arrest his five-year sentence, handed down on October for the Valentine's Day death of Steenkamp.

While the judge turned down the state's appeal to cover both the sportman's sentence and acquittal for illegal possession of ammunition, she gave in to its request to consider the Supreme Court of Appeal's three questions of law.

A successful appeal would change the charge from culpable homicide to murder and lead to a minimum sentence of 15 years.

But Barry Roux, the lawyer of Pistorius, insisted the court made the correct decision and appeals are limited to matters of law and not on matters of fact.

Pistorius's fellow inmate observed that "Pistorius can barely console himself over the fact that he will be here for Christmas and New Year instead of jolling with his family and friends."

He added, "It's about time he realised that this is the real world of crime."

TagsOscar Pistorius, Reeva Steenkamp, blade runner