I HAVE been called for jury duty twice now.

This was unnecessary. I heard them the first time. The case is a bland one and should it lead to an acquittal then the accused will duly become lost from view as he is conducted from Glasgow's Sheriff Court. He will have successfully convinced a handful of peers of his innocence, the majority of whom took an interest only under instruction from their summons, and will be allowed to withdraw from the spotlight.

The public glare is harder to elude for the modern athlete, whose career is played out on a stage in a theatre which caters for a worldwide audience, not all of whom are waiting to applaud at the end of the performance. Just as success in sport causes one to be elevated in the eyes of the public, so too there is a fascination when an athlete falls from his pedestal. The fall is often monitored closely all the way down.

Oscar Pistorius has been plummeting towards the floor for the past seven months, with Judge Thokozile Masipa expected to pass sentence on the disgraced Paralympic champion with a splat later today. The facts of the case were laid out in black and white at the start of the trial - Pistorius shot and killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a bathroom door in his home last year - but his trial has been watched in technicolour as the South African descended from fame and fortune in full view of the world's media. He has been found guilty of culpable homicide and could face a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

He has also been barred for life from the sort of reverence he enjoyed as a celebrated athlete - Pistorius even received an honorary doctorate from the University of Strathclyde after his participation in the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics - and this was a sentence that was passed without hesitation.

Pistorius had triumphed in six Paralympic finals, winning the T44 400 metres in London two years ago in a time of 46.68sec but, once he swapped the starter's pistol for his own 9mm last February, he instead started a race to deliver the quickest punchline. "Pistorius doesn't have a leg to stand on, you know . . . d'you think they'll let him walk?" That's the work experience boy for you. He's here all week.

The horrors of his crime had become distorted since they were viewed through the prism of celebrity, his fall from grace as compelling to watch as the way he used to hurtle along a track on his artificial legs. Having once been surrounded by supporters in athletics stadiums, he was seen with only his lawyer for company as the prosecution reopened proceedings on Thursday by wishing Judge Masipa a happy birthday, while updates flew along Sky Sports News' yellow ticker.

The demise of a sporting idol can suspend reality and bridge media outlets which otherwise serve one a diet of relentless goal replays and Twitter polls. (#sticktothefitba)

Pistorius will be sentenced as a man today but he is not alone in the dock, with such as Tiger Woods (professional golfer/serial adulterer), Lance Armstrong (seven-time Tour de France champion/drug cheat), Michael Phelps (Olympic swimmer/drunk driver) and Ched Evans (footballer/convicted rapist) each having stepped forward already to be judged by his public.

The last named, once of Sheffield United and the Wales national team, m'lud, was released last week having served half of a five-year sentence. The initial accusation is one which he continues to deny, as he stated upon his release: "It is something that I will regret for the rest of my life. I cheated on my girlfriend and had sex with this girl - but it was definitely consensual."

Evans' story was interrupted when the book was thrown at him two years ago, but his release has brought him centre stage once again. There has been speculation that United are prepared to re-sign the 25-year-old on a new £5000-a-week contract should he deliver a sincere public apology, offering him a way back into a life he will recognise, even if it cannot be exactly the same as he remembers.

Marlon King, once an Jamaica internationalist, has returned to the game following a series of offences - including sexual assault - and Nile Ranger now plays for Blackpool despite also having found himself frequently on the wrong side of the law, though the events of their past continue to mark them as tightly as any opposing defender.

All of them could be expected to cry foul should past indiscretions trip them up as they make their way through their careers, albeit the immediate response is often that they committed an infraction first in failing to act as responsible role models. Redemption is possible for athletes, of course, but it can be a difficult ascent. Should the invitation arise to witness them fall once more, it is unlikely that anyone will need to be asked twice.