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Reeva Steenkamp
Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, will be allowed to travel after winning the appeal against the terms of his bail.
His lawyers argued that the South African Olympic and Paralympics champion should be allowed to return to his home and to travel.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, also sought an end to supervision by a probation officer and compulsory drug and alcohol testing.
The athelete denies murdering Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria last month.
Oscar Pistorius says he shot Reeva Steenkamp when he mistook her for an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, will be allowed to travel after winning the appeal against the terms of his bail
The state opposed the application, which was heard at the High Court in Pretoria.
Oscar Pistorius’s lawyer, Kenny Oldwage, said his client did not need to be in court for this hearing.
The bail conditions were imposed by Magistrate Desmond Nair on February 22 – including restrictions on the athlete travelling abroad.
Oscar Pistorius was ordered to hand over his two South African passports, avoid his home in Pretoria and all witnesses in the case, report to a police station twice a week and to abstain from drinking alcohol.
In the papers before the court on Thursday his lawyers argued that he should be allowed to travel if he is granted permission by the case investigation officer.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, the athlete’s brother, Carl Pistorius, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with the culpable homicide of a female motorcyclist in a 2008 road crash. Carl Pistorius pleaded not guilty and is due to appear in court again next week.
Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, are due to challenge his bail conditions at a court hearing.
They will argue that the South African Olympic and Paralympics star should be allowed to return to his home, and to travel.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, also wants an end to supervision by a probation officer and compulsory drug and alcohol testing.
The athlete denies murdering Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria last month.
Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, are due to challenge his bail conditions at a court hearing
Oscar Pistorius says he shot Reeva Steenkamp when he mistook her for an intruder.
Prosecutors said the state would oppose the application, which is being heard at the High Court in Pretoria.
Oscar Pistorius’ lawyer, Kenny Oldwage, said his client did not need to be in court for this hearing.
The athlete’s legal team will appeal against some of the bail conditions imposed by Magistrate Desmond Nair on February 22 that include restrictions on him travelling abroad.
Oscar Pistorius was ordered to hand over his two South African passports, avoid his home in Pretoria and all witnesses in the case, report to a police station twice a week and to abstain from drinking alcohol.
In the papers before the court on Thursday Oscar Pistorius’ lawyers argue that he should be allowed to travel if he is granted permission by the case investigation officer.
In an unrelated case, the athlete’s brother, Carl Pistorius, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with the culpable homicide of a female motorcyclist in a 2008 road crash. Carl Pistorius pleaded not guilty and is due to appear in court again next week.
Hilton Botha, the former lead detective in Oscar Pistorius case, has resigned, South African police confirm.
Detective Hilton Botha was dropped from the investigation in February after it emerged that he was facing attempted murder charges in another case.
He has also been heavily criticized for giving contradictory evidence at the bail hearing of Oscar Pistorius.
Oscar Pistorius is accused of killing his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp – a charge he denies.
The athlete says he mistook her for a burglar when he shot her dead on February 14.
Reeva Steenkamp, 29, died after the athlete fired multiple shots into the toilet of his apartment in a gated housing complex in Pretoria.
Hilton Botha, the former lead detective in Oscar Pistorius case, has resigned
Hilton Botha, the first officer to arrive at the scene of the shooting, was accused of mishandling the investigation after he amended his testimony during fierce questioning by Oscar Pistorius’s defence lawyers in last month’s bail hearing.
It also emerged that the detective was allegedly involved in the shooting of a minibus taxi loaded with passengers two years ago.
The charges against him had originally been dropped but were later reinstated.
Hilton Botha is set to appear in court in May, along with two other officers also accused of opening fire on the taxi.
Police have not commented on the reasons behind Hilton Bopha’s resignation.
Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with premeditated murder, was released on bail on February 22 and is due to appear in court again in June.
Oscar Pistorius’ family said on Tuesday that the athlete held a private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp at his uncle Arnold’s home in Pretoria, where he has been staying since he was freed on bail.
His family has asked for privacy but confirmation of the memorial service came after a leak in the media, Sky News reported today.
A statement by Oscar Pistorius’ representatives said: “This statement is released in response to a leak to the media regarding a planned private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp.
“Oscar Pistorius, will hold a private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp at the house of his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, tonight.
“Oscar specifically requested the memorial service as he continues to grieve and remains in deep mourning for the loss of his partner Reeva.
“Since it is such a sensitive issue, Oscar has asked for a private service with people who share his loss, including his family members who knew and loved Reeva as one of their own.
“The Pistorius family would like to make a personal request to the media, to please respect their privacy at their home in Pretoria tonight.”
Oscar Pistorius’ family said on Tuesday that the athlete held a private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp at his uncle Arnold’s home in Pretoria
Also on Tuesday, it was revealed that Desmond Nair, chief magistrate of the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court who presided over the bail hearing, is in mourning after it is believed one of his relatives killed herself and her children.
The bodies of a woman and her two sons were found on Sunday evening at their Johannesburg home by her ex-husband, police warrant officer Balan Muthan said.
Authorities suspect the woman administered a substance that killed her children, and took her own life by ingesting it as well.
“I can confirm the deceased is my first cousin,” Desmond Nair said.
Sky News: Pistorius Holds Private Memorial For Reeva
Reeva Steenkamp’s family has categorically denied that she was pregnant when Oscar Pistorius shot and killed her.
The National Enquirer reported earlier this week that Reeva Steenkamp told Oscar Pistorius that she was pregnant to placate him after he accused her of cheating on him.
But today family spokesman Mike Steenkamp denied the reports were true and said the model’s mother, June Steenkamp, would have known.
“The post mortem would have revealed if Reeva was pregnant and it did not reveal anything like this. Maybe it comes from the other side, to garner and build up some sort of support for Oscar,” June Steenkamp told Times Live.
Oscar Pistorius claims he killed Reeva Steenkamp accidentally, opening fire after mistaking her for an intruder in his bathroom. But prosecutors say the athlete intentionally shot her in cold blood after the couple had an argument.
The National Enquirer reported on Monday that the argument was sparked by the news that Oscar Pistorius was about to become a father.
A source close to investigation told the Enquirer: “Police believe the pregnancy secret she revealed is what sent Pistorius over the edge and left her dead, with bullet wounds to the head, chest, pelvis and hand.”
The source added: “Later that night, neighbors complained of shouting and fighting coming from the house.
“Police were called to investigate, but it appeared to be just another lover’s spat, so nothing was done except to ask them to quiet down.”
Reeva Steenkamp’s family has categorically denied that she was pregnant when Oscar Pistorius shot and killed her
It’s the latest lurid claim to hit the case, which has seen numerous sensational allegations in the wake of Reeva Steenkamp’s death. However, it remains unconfirmed in South Africa.
Oscar Pistorius, who had both of his legs amputated below the knee when he was just 11 months old, competed on a set of prosthetic blades, earning him the nickname “blade runner”.
He has competed as a sprinter in each of the Paralympic Summer Games since 2004 until running alongside able-bodied athletes in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
But his days as a runner will be numbered if he’s found guilty of Reeva Steenkamp’s murder.
The National Enquirer: WORLD EXCLUSIVE! BLADE RUNNER¿S GIRLFRIEND WAS PREGNANT!
CCTV images emerged today appearing to show a smiling Reeva Steenkamp arriving at Oscar Pistorius’ home, just hours before he shot her dead on Valentine’s Day.
The video stills show Reeva Steenkamp, 29, looking happy as she pulled up Oscar Pistorius’ home in Pretoria, according to the respected South African investigative programme Carte Blanche.
Reeva Steenkamp was pictured on a camera pulling into the guarded entrance of the Silver Woods estate in her Mini Cooper car just before 6 p.m. on February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day.
The model was seen holding her right hand against her cheek and right eye, and 10 minutes later Oscar Pistorius himself was pictured arriving in his white BMW, but his facial expression could not be seen.
Despite Reeva Steenkamp’s smiles, her ex-flatmate revealed that she felt so “caged in” by an “impatient and moody” Oscar Pistorius in the early days of their relationship that he was forced to tell him to “back off”.
Cyril Myers, whom Reeva Steenkamp lived with in Johannesburg, told South Africa’s City Press that Oscar Pistorius at first seemed polite but then began to start putting pressure on Reeva.
He claimed it got to the point where Cyril Myers had to intervene. He recalled their first date, shortly after she broke up with her former boyfriend.
“She went with Oscar to a sports-awards evening. And after that he wouldn’t leave her alone. He kept pestering her, phoning and phoning and phoning her.
“Oscar was hasty and impatient and very moody – that’s my impression of him. She told me he pushed her a bit into a corner. She felt caged in. I told her I would talk to him.
“I told him not to force himself on her. Back off. He agreed, but his face showed me what he was thinking: <<Oh, this guy is talking nonsense>>. He did cool down a bit.
“Then they started going out steadily, and she was more at his home. I once talked to her about Oscar’s moodiness. She didn’t answer me.”
CCTV images emerged today appearing to show a smiling Reeva Steenkamp arriving at Oscar Pistorius’ home, just hours before he shot her dead on Valentine’s Day
Oscar Pistorius has been charged with premeditated murder in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day.
A text from Reeva Steenkamp to Cyril Myers on the night she was shot revealed that she did not intend to stay the night but changed her mind because she did not want to drive home as it was late.
Oscar Pistorius denies murder, saying he killed her accidentally. He said he opened fire after mistaking Reeva Steemkamp for an intruder in his home.
Meanwhile the brother of Paralympic star, Carl Pistorius, is facing charges over the death of a woman in a car crash in 2010, it emerged today.
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Carl Pistorius, brother of South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius – who is accused of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp – is also facing trial over the death of a woman.
Carl Pistorius is charged with culpable homicide over the death of a woman motorcyclist in a traffic accident, his lawyer said.
The case has no relation to the charges against Oscar Pistorius over the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp.
Oscar Pistorius – who was released on bail on Friday – denies murder.
The charges against Carl Pistorius over an accident involving his car in which a woman on a motorcycle died date back to 2010 but have only just emerged, local media reports say.
They were confirmed by Pistorius family lawyer Kenneth Oldwage.
The accident took place in the town of Vanderbijlpark, an hour’s drive south of Johannesburg.
Carl Pistorius, brother of South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, is also facing trial over the death of a woman
Police conducted tests on Carl Pistorius and he was found to have no alcohol in his blood at the time.
Carl Pistorius is due in court at the end of March, which means his trial may end before his younger brother Oscar’s is due to begin on June 4.
Carl Pistorius was a constant presence at his brother’s four-day bail hearing.
Oscar Pistorius admits shooting Reeva Steenkamp at his home on Valentine’s Day but denies murder, saying he mistook her for an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius crushed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp’s skull with a cricket bat before shooting her dead, police have told her family.
Details of the post-mortem examination of South African model Reeva Steenkamp were withheld from last week’s bail application hearing.
Her family, who saw her body before Tuesday’s cremation in Port Elizabeth described horrific injuries from the cricket bat, and entry wounds from 9mm bullets fired by Oscar Pistorius.
They were also briefed about the model’s death by police and lawyers from the state prosecutor’s office.
In a sworn affidavit read to the bail hearing in Pretoria magistrates’ court last week, Oscar Pistorius claimed that he used the bat to break down the toilet door after the shooting, saying he had not realized his girlfriend was in the bathroom.
The bloodstained bat, which is currently being examined by a police forensics team, will be key evidence when Oscar Pistorius goes on trial for premeditated murder.
Oscar Pistorius – who has previously boasted about having a cricket bat, pistol and machine gun at home to defend himself against intruders – claims the bat became blood-spattered at the scene.
Last week the prosecution did not mention any details about the bat and the role they believe it played in Reeva Steenkamp’s death, opting not to disclose their case against Oscar Pistorius. But to secure bail, Oscar Pistorius’ legal team had to detail his defence, which included why he had a blood-spattered cricket bat in his possession on the fatal night.
The Paralympic athlete claims that during the night he heard a noise in the bathroom and feared it was an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius crushed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp’s skull with a cricket bat before shooting her dead, police have told her family
Oscar Pistorius, 26, said he felt “vulnerable” without his prosthetic legs, so he got a gun from under his bed and fired through the bathroom door, shouting at the “intruder” to get out of the house and for Reeva Steenkamp to call the police.
At that point Oscar Pistorius thought she was still in bed.
Oscar Pistorius described his “horror and fear” as he realized Reeva Steenkamp was not in the bed, and said he used the bat to break down the toilet door to find Reeva slumped inside the cubicle.
The sprinter said he called paramedics and then carried Reeva Steenkamp, 29, downstairs, trying to revive her, but she died in his arms.
Yesterday, Reeva Steenmkamp’s father Barry Steenkamp said that the athlete would have to “live with his conscience” if he is lying about how he killed her.
Barry Steenkamp told Afrikaans-language newspaper Beeld: “It doesn’t matter how much money he has and how good his team of lawyers is, he must be able to live with his conscience if he allows his team of lawyers to lie on his behalf.
“He will have to live with his conscience. But if he speaks the truth, I can perhaps someday forgive him. If it does not happen as he tells it, he must suffer.”
In another interview, Reeva Steenkamp’s mother June said: “Everything has been taken away from me in such a terrible way. The only thing that matters now is the truth.”
Oscar Pistorius’ family believe him to be innocent, with his father Henke saying he had “zero doubt” that Reeva Steenkamp’s death was a tragic accident. In an earlier interview, Henke Pistorius said: “When you are a sportsman, you act even more on instinct. It’s instinct, things happen and that’s what you do.
“When you wake up in the middle of the night, and crime is so endemic in South Africa, what do you do if somebody is in the house? Do you think it’s one of your family? No, of course you don’t.”
In a statement yesterday Oscar Pistorius’ family said: “Oscar will never be the same . . . having to live with the knowledge he caused the death of the woman he loved, and that he can never undo the immense pain and loss this has caused Reeva’s family and friends.”
Barry Steenkamp, Reeva Steenkamp’s father, has said Oscar Pistorius “will have to live with his conscience” over the killing of his daughter.
Barry Steenkamp was speaking a day after Oscar Pistorius was freed on bail pending his trial.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, admits shooting Reeva Steenkamp, 29, but denies murder, saying he mistook her for an intruder.
“If it didn’t happen the way he says it did he must suffer and he will suffer,” Barry Steenkamp told Beeld newspaper.
“It does not matter how much money he has and how good his legal team is, he will have to live with his conscience,” Barry Steenkamp said.
“But if he speaks the truth, I can perhaps someday forgive him,” he added.
Reeva Steenkamp was a model and law graduate with a burgeoning television career.
The model was shot dead in the toilet of Oscar Pistorius’s home in the early hours of February 14 – Valentine’s Day.
Barry Steenkamp, Reeva Steenkamp’s father, has said Oscar Pistorius “will have to live with his conscience” over the killing of his daughter
Oscar Pistorius admits firing the shots through a locked door but says he thought he was firing at an intruder, not the woman he says he loved.
The Paralympic champion was released on bail on Friday after eight days in police custody.
A magistrate ruled that the state had not made a case that he would flee, or that he had a violent character.
The next hearing is set for June 4.
Oscar Pistorius is currently staying at his uncle’s house in the upmarket suburb of Waterkloof in Pretoria.
His uncle said the athlete wanted to “reach out” to Reeva Steenkamp’s family.
Reeva Steenkamp’s mother June told Beeld that she had received a bouquet of flowers from the Pistorius family.
“But what does it mean?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
Oscar Pistorius’ brother, Carl, has tweeted, thanking everyone who has prayed for both families.
Oscar Pistorius, who faces murder charges over the shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has spent his first night out of custody after being granted bail.
At a pre-trial hearing on Friday, a Pretoria magistrate ruled the state had not made a case that the South African Paralympic champion would flee, or that he had a violent character.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, denies murder, saying he shot Reeva Steenkamp, 29, thinking she was an intruder at his home.
The next hearing is set for June 4.
Oscar Pistorius spent eight nights in a police cell in Pretoria, following his arrest on February 14. After Friday’s ruling granting him bail, he left the court in a silver car pursued by photographers.
The sprinter is staying at his uncle’s house in Pretoria.
Reports say Oscar Pistorius may start training again and hold talks with his coach.
Magistrate Desmond Nair set bail at 1 million rand ($113,000).
Oscar Pistorius was also ordered to hand over his passport, avoid his home in Pretoria and report to a police station every Monday and Friday.
Desmond Nair took almost two hours to deliver his judgement.
The magistrate criticized the testimony of Detective Hilton Botha for not following up important leads and changing his evidence.
Oscar Pistorius, who faces murder charges over the shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has spent his first night out of custody after being granted bail
Desmond Nair also said Oscar Pistorius had “reached out to meet the state’s case” and had given a full version of events at an early stage.
Oscar Pistorius’ family and supporters in the court gasped and cheered as the magistrate announced his decision.
His uncle, Arnold Pistorius, said outside court: “We are relieved by the fact that Oscar got bail today, but at the same time, we are in mourning for Reeva Steenkamp and her family.”
The hearing began on Tuesday and both prosecution and defence laid out their cases.
Both sides agree that Oscar Pistorius shot through the bathroom door four times, hitting and killing Reeva Steenkamp.
But prosecutors allege the shooting happened after the couple had an argument at Oscar Pistorius’s home in the early hours of February 14.
Det. Hilton Botha told the court that witnesses had heard shouting, screaming and gunfire from about 600 m (2,000 ft) away.
But later he changed his evidence to suggest the witnesses were much closer.
And on Thursday it emerged that Det. Hilton Botha faces allegations of attempted murder, and he was removed from the case.
Oscar Pistorius says he woke in the middle of the night, and thought there was an intruder in the bathroom.
The prosecutors sought to portray Oscar Pistorius as man with a history of violence who was likely to flee the country.
But the defence argued it would be impossible for Oscar Pistorius to flee because his prosthetic legs would be noticed wherever he went.
Reeva Steenkamp was a model and law graduate with a burgeoning television career.
Oscar Pistorius won gold medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
In London Oscar Pistorius made history by becoming the first double-amputee to run in the Olympics, making the semi-final of the 400 m.
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Oscar Pistorius, who faces murder charges over the fatal shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has been released on bail after a lengthy hearing.
South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius denies murder, saying he shot Reeva Steenkamp thinking she was an intruder at his home.
The prosecution had argued that bail should be refused because there was a risk Oscar Pistorius, 26, would abscond.
Magistrate Desmond Nair said the state had not made a case that he would flee, or that the sprinter had a violent character.
Desmond Nair said that Oscar Pistorius had “reached out to meet the state’s case” at an early stage.
Oscar Pistorius, who faces murder charges over the fatal shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has been released on bail after a lengthy hearing
The magistrate took almost two hours to deliver his judgement.
Desmond Nair criticized the testimony of lead detective Hilton Botha, saying he had not followed up important leads and had changed his testimony.
But he also said he had difficulty understanding why Oscar Pistorius had opened fire in the way he did.
Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was a model and law graduate with a burgeoning television career.
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Sportswear giant Nike has decided to suspend its contract with Oscar Pistorius, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
“We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely,” a Nike spokesman said.
Nike recently pulled ads that featured Oscar Pistorius and the line, “I am the bullet in the chamber”.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, also has deals with BT, Oakley, and Ossur, the Icelandic firm that makes his carbon-fibre blades.
Oscar Pistorius, a Paralympic champion, denies the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He is in court in South Africa this week to press to be released on bail pending his trial.
On Wednesday, Clarins said that it would no longer run Thierry Mugler ads featuring Oscar Pistorius “out of respect and compassion for the families involved”.
Oscar Pistorius was chosen as the face of the fashion firm’s A*Men fragrance in 2011.
Another of Oscar Pistorius’ sponsors, a South African pay TV channel, pulled its TV ad campaign featuring the athlete recently.
Nike has decided to suspend its contract with Oscar Pistorius, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
Oscar Pistorius won gold medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
In London Oscar Pistorius made history by becoming the first double-amputee to run in the Olympics, making the semi-final of the 400m.
Nike was recently forced to end its long relationship with Lance Armstrong, who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and finally admitted to doping after years of denial.
It recently signed up Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy as a new brand ambassador, making him one of the highest paid sports stars in the world.
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Hilton Botha, the South African detective leading the Oscar Pistorius inquiry, is facing seven charges of attempted murder, police have confirmed.
Detective Hilton Botha, who has faced fierce questioning at Oscar Pistorius’s bail hearing, was allegedly involved in a shooting two years ago.
Oscar Pistorius, a Paralympic champion, denies the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 29.
His bail hearing in Pretoria is scheduled to resume at 11:00 a.m.
Police spokesman Neville Malila said that Hilton Botha and two other officers were due to appear in court in May.
Neville Malila said it was alleged that while driving a state-owned vehicle the three had opened fire on a minibus taxi loaded with passengers.
The three were arrested in 2011, Eyewitness News says, citing police.
Neville Malila told Reuters news agency the charges against Hilton Botha had originally been dropped but were reinstated on Wednesday by the state prosecutor after the officer had taken the stand.
It is not clear whether Hilton Botha will continue working on the case.
Medupe Simasiku, a spokesman for the Pistorius prosecutors, told Associated Press they were unaware of the charges and would now investigate whether the detective should remain.
Oscar Pistorius says he shot Reeva Steenkamp in the bathroom of his home after mistaking her for an intruder.
If denied bail, Oscar Pistorius could face months in prison before a full trial begins.
Correspondents say Det Hilton Botha’s evidence on Wednesday appeared first to boost the prosecution’s case and then offer the defence a hope of winning the argument.
Hilton Botha, the South African detective leading the Oscar Pistorius inquiry, is facing seven charges of attempted murder
Det Hilton Botha told the court that the trajectory of gunshots through the bathroom door indicated that Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee, was wearing his prosthetic legs and shot downwards through the door.
This contradicted an earlier account given by Oscar Pistorius, who said he was walking on his stumps and grabbed his gun because he felt vulnerable when he thought an intruder had entered.
The detective then said a witness had said he heard fighting at Oscar Pistorius’s home on the night Reeva Steenkamp was shot.
Det Hilton Botha initially said the witness was some 600 m (1,800 ft) away, but later amended his answer to 300 m after a break for lunch.
Oscar Pistorius’s family said the changes were “extremely concerning”.
The detective was also accused of not wearing protective clothing at the crime scene.
The magistrate appeared to question Det Hilton Botha’s assertion that Oscar Pistorius could be a flight risk who should be denied bail.
The Pistorius family issued a statement saying they were “satisfied with the outcome” of Wednesday’s proceedings.
The magistrate has deemed this a “schedule six” case, meaning Oscar Pistorius is accused of premeditated murder.
His defence team will have to prove the extenuating circumstances that would justify granting bail.
Oscar Pistorius won gold medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
In London Oscar Pistorius made history by becoming the first double-amputee to run in the Olympics, making the semi-final of the 400 m.
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A South African court heard today that boxes of “steroids, testosterone” and needles were found at Oscar Pistorius’ home where he shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead after “non-stop” arguing.
The details were revealed by the prosecution on the second day of Oscar Pistorius’ bail hearing at Pretoria Magistrates’ Court where he faces a charge of premeditated murder.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, sobbed with his head lowered as the packed court heard the post-mortem showed three entrance wounds – the bullets hit the right side of Reeva Steenkamp’s head, her right elbow – which resulted in a broken arm – and her hip.
He claimed it was dark when he shot Reeva Steenkamp, but today police claimed a witness heard gunshots, saw the lights on, heard “a female screaming” and then more shots.
Chief investigating officer Hilton Botha told the packed court a separate witness said they heard an hour-long fight between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. before the sound of gunshots rang out.
Hilton Botha said he arrived at the upscale Pretoria house at about 4.15 a.m. last Thursday and Reeva Steenkamp, 29, had already been declared dead – “she had on white shorts and black vest. She was covered in towels”.
Oscar Pistorius, who underwent below-the-knee amputations when he was 11 months old, said he shot through the toilet cubicle door while on his stumps but the court heard the bullets’ trajectory was through the top of the door.
Hilton Botha said he believed the bullets were fired down, suggesting that Oscar Pistorius was wearing his prosthetic legs when the shots were discharged.
Gerrie Nel, the chief prosecutor asked Hilton Botha if the shots were fired directly at the toilet basin and he agreed.
“If you fire straight at the door, you miss the toilet,” he explained.
Hilton Botha said police believe a cricket bat found in the bathroom was used to break down the door to the toilet – part of the door was lying in the bathroom.
He said that one bullet cartridge was found outside bathroom while three others were inside.
On the shower mat in the en-suite bathroom laid a firearm and an iPhone 4 and iPhone – Hilton Botha said four phones in total were found in the athlete’s home and none of them had been used to call emergency services.
The presiding magistrate heard that testosterone and needles were found in Oscar Pistorius’ bedroom.
Boxes of steroids, testosterone and needles were found at Oscar Pistorius’ home where he shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead after non-stop arguing
The court heard police found a box of .38 calibre ammunition rounds in a bedroom safe for which Oscar Pistorius is not a licence holder – they plan to charge him with possession of unlicensed ammunition.
In the bedroom they found an overnight bag was on a couch on the left hand side of the bed as well as slippers.
Oscar Pistorius has said he had been a victim of crime and received death threats, but today the court heard there were no records of this.
The athlete made notes with a silver pen as the case progressed.
Hilton Botha said he believed Oscar Pistorius, who won two gold medals and a silver at London’s 2012 Paralympic Games, was a flight risk and he was opposing bail.
He told the court Oscar Pistorius has offshore accounts and a property in Italy and said that he saw Pistorius’ family were looking for documents and a specific memory stick with details of offshore accounts.
Discussing extradition he said: “We don’t want another Dewani to happen. We’re still waiting to get him back in the country.”
He was referring to Shrien Dewani who is wanted in South Africa over the honeymoon murder of his wife in November 2010, but is now fighting extradition in Britain.
The defence will have to prove the extenuating circumstances that would justify granting bail so Oscar Pistorius will be free until the trial starts.
It is not expected to begin for at least four months – it would be heard by a judge sitting alongside two assessors – typically magistrates or retired magistrates – as the South Africa legal system does not have a jury system.
At today’s hearing it was claimed Oscar Pistorius was involved in another shooting at a restaurant in Johannesburg in January and asked the gun owner to take responsibility for the incident.
Hilton Botha also told the court of an incident at Kyalami racetrack where Oscar Pistorius allegedly threatened to “f*** up” a man during a row over a girl.
Before recess Oscar lawyer Barry Roux, one of South Africa’s leading defence lawyers, crossed examined the policeman.
The court gasped and the magistrate was forced to call for order after Barry Roux revealed that the witness who allegedly heard the screaming lived 600 metres away.
Barry Roux said there was no sign of an assault or a struggle on Reeva Steenkamp.
He told the court it was not testosterone, but a herbal remedy discovered in his client’s bedroom.
Barry Roux said a post-mortem examination showed Reeva Steenkamp’s bladder was empty and said that was consistent with her getting up at 3 a.m. to go to the toilet.
He asked repeatedly why the police did not make simple checks – over the lighting and whether Oscar Pistorius had other phones.
The lawyer said Oscar Pistorius phoned the housing complex manager for help at 3.19 a.m. then Netcare hospital a minute later.
Barry Roux said the police discarded anything that might have been consistent with a defence.
Yesterday Oscar Pistorius he mistook Reeva Steenkamp for an intruder and shot her through the locked door of a toilet in his mansion home.
He said he thought she was in his bed when he opened fire.
“I kicked the door open, I tried to help her but she died in my arms,” he said in his first account of what happened.
Oscar Pistorius sobbed uncontrollably as Barry Roux, read the athlete’s statement to Pretoria magistrate Desmond Nair, asking that he be allowed bail.
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Photos of Oscar Pistorius’ bathroom where Reeva Steenkamp lay dying after he gunned her down through the door, have emerged today.
The luxurious stone-clad en-suite is now the focus of a murder inquiry as investigators try to piece together what happened in the toilet cubicle where Reeva Steenkamp spent her last moments.
Prosecutors argue the model was trapped in there hiding from Oscar Pistorius, while he claims his girlfriend was using the bathroom after getting up in the night at his upscale Pretoria home.
In a sworn affidavit Oscar Pistorius stated that he thought someone was in the bathroom and shot at them because he “noticed that the bathroom window was open .I realized that the intruder/s was/were in the toilet because the toilet door was closed and I did not see anyone in the bathroom. I heard movement inside the toilet”.
“It filled me with horror and fear of an intruder or intruders being inside the toilet. I thought he or they must have entered through the unprotected window,” he stated.
Prosecutors believe that Oscar Pistorius, picked up his gun, strapped on his prosthetic legs and stood near the large corner bath, before taking aim at the cubicle door.
The athlete shot four times and hit Reeva Steenkamp three times – it is thought she was sitting on the toilet when she was hit in the arm, head, hip and finger by bullets.
The door was broken down – Oscar Pistorius claims he battered it down with a cricket bat to reach his bloodied and dying girlfriend and found her “slumped over but alive”.
The bathroom was the key focus for both the defence and the prosecution at today’s bail hearing at Pretoria magistrates court.
Painting a picture of a premeditated murder prosecutor Gerrie Nel said that Reeva Steenkamp was shot when she took refuge in the bathroom after the couple had been arguing.
“The applicant armed himself, attached his prosthesis, walked seven metres to the bathroom and shot the deceased while she was in the toilet.”
“He shot four times…There’s no possible explanation to support his report that he thought it was a burglar,” he said.
“If I arm myself, walk a distance and murder a person, that is premeditated,” he said.
“The door is closed. There is no doubt. I walk seven metres and I kill.”
“The motive is <<I want to kill>>. That’s it,” he added.
“This deceased was in a 1.4 by 1.14 metre little room. She could go nowhere.”
Photos of Oscar Pistorius’ bathroom where Reeva Steenkamp lay dying after he gunned her down through the door
Gerrie Nel said the killing was premeditated because Oscar Pistorius had planned to say that he thought he was shooting an intruder.
“It was all part of the pre-planning. Why would a burglar lock himself inside the bathroom?” Gerrie Nel said.
“She locked that door for a purpose. We’ll get to that purpose.
“That is where she was when those shots were fired. She couldn’t go anywhere. It must have been horrific.”
But Oscar Pistorius’s lawyer, Barry Roux, said Reeva Steenkamp was not murdered, and there were a number of cases where men shot members of their own family through doors after mistaking them for burglars.
He also suggested that Oscar Pistorius broke down the bathroom door after the shooting to help his girlfriend.
“We submit it is not even murder,” Barry Roux said.
“There is no concession this is a murder.”
In a sworn affidavit, Oscar Pistorius, who broke down in tears on several occasions, said the pair were in bed together when he woke up and went onto a balcony to bring a fan inside.
On his return to the bedroom he said he heard a noise and thought an intruder had broken in through his bathroom window.
Oscar Pistorius claimed he was too scared to switch a light on, so he grabbed his 9mm pistol – which he kept under his bed after receiving death threats – and walked towards the bathroom, which contains a toilet with a separate door.
“On my way to the bathroom I screamed words to the effect for him/them to get out of my house and for Reeva to phone the police. It was pitch dark in the bedroom and I thought Reeva was in bed,” he said.
“I believed that when the intruder/s came out of the toilet we would be in grave danger. I felt trapped as my bedroom door was locked and I have limited mobility on my stumps.
“I fired shots at the toilet door and shouted to Reeva to phone the police. She did not respond and I moved backwards out of the bathroom, keeping my eyes on the bathroom entrance. Everything was pitch dark in the bedroom and I was still too scared to switch on a light. Reeva was not responding.
“When I reached the bed, I realized that Reeva was not in bed. That is when it dawned on me that it could have been Reeva who was in the toilet. I returned to the bathroom calling her name. I tried to open the toilet door but it was locked. I rushed back into the bedroom and opened the sliding door exiting onto the balcony and screamed for help.”
According to Oscar Pistorius he then smashed his way into the toilet using a cricket bat, finding her “slumped over but alive”.
The athlete then phoned for an ambulance and carried her downstairs, but she died in his arms.
The defendant said he was “absolutely mortified” by what had happened, but insisted the evidence would prove his innocence.
Although no decision was made on bail today, the judge did rule that the charge would be premeditated murder indicating Oscar Pistorius, who last year became the first double-amputee track athlete to run at the Olympics, is likely to remain behind bars until trial.
He has now been driven back to jail where he will spend a sixth night behind bars before the hearing resumes in the morning.
As Oscar Pistorius’s relatives supported him in court, the distraught family of Reeva Steenkamp attended her funeral in Port Elizabeth.
Her brother Adam said that her death had “left space missing inside all of the people that she knew”.
But there was also anger. Gavin Venter, an ex-jockey who worked for Reeva Steenkamp’s father, called for the harshest of sentences for Oscar Pistorius.
“Without a doubt. He must stay in jail,” he said.
South African prosecutors have said that a witness heard “non-stop shouting” coming from Oscar Pistorius’ mansion before shots were fired early on February 14.
Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is facing a charge of premeditated murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
On Tuesday Oscar Pistorius told the court he shot Reeva Steenkamp through a bathroom door after mistaking her for an intruder.
It is the second day of his bail hearing in Pretoria.
A full trial of Oscar Pistorius, 26, is not expected for months.
Oscar Pistorius arrived at the court building on Wednesday morning in a police car with a blue blanket covering his head.
Courtroom proceedings were delayed as journalists and onlookers tried to get into the court. One journalist fainted in the scrum.
The magistrate has deemed this a schedule six case – meaning Oscar Pistorius is accused of premeditated murder.
Chief investigating officer Hilton Botha is set respond to Oscar Pistorius’s testimony.
On Tuesday Oscar Pistorius told the bail hearing that he loved Reeva Steenkamp and had never intended to kill her.
In a statement read to the court, Oscar Pistorius – who is a double amputee – said he woke in the middle of the night and thought he heard an intruder in his bathroom.
In pitch darkness, he said he took a pistol from beneath his bed. After screaming for the intruder to leave, he said he fired four shots through the door.
South African prosecutors have said that a witness heard “non-stop shouting” coming from Oscar Pistorius’ mansion before shots were fired early on February 14
Oscar Pistorius claimed he was not wearing his prosthetic legs during this time, and that this made him feel “extremely vulnerable”. He says he is able to move on his stumps.
Only after shooting did he realize Reeva Steenkamp was not still in his bed, the statement said. He broke down the bathroom door and discovered her body.
“She died in my arms,” the statement said.
“I am absolutely mortified at the death of my beloved Reeva.”
Oscar Pistorius wept as his affidavit was read out in court.
But his account was disputed by the prosecution, who said the couple may have argued before the shooting.
“There is no possible explanation to support his report that he thought it was a burglar,” prosecutors said.
“It was all part of the pre-planning. Why would a burglar lock himself inside the bathroom?” prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the court.
The prosecution claims that in fact Oscar Pistorius put on his prosthetic legs and walked seven metres before shooting Reeva Steenkamp through the closed bathroom door – details that showed the murder was premeditated.
The first day of the bail hearing coincided with Reeva Steenkamp’s funeral.
The 29-year-old model and law graduate was cremated in her home town of Port Elizabeth.
Her father, Barry Steenkamp, told reporters: “We have to keep Reeva in our hearts forever.”
The case has aroused huge interest both in South Africa, where Oscar Pistorius is regarded as a national hero, and around the world.
Oscar Pistorius is a multiple Paralympic champion, winning gold medals at the 2004 Games in Athens, at Beijing 2008 and at London 2012.
In London Oscar Pistorius made history by becoming the first double amputee to run in the Olympics, progressing to the semi-finals of the 400 m.
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South African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius today gave a horrifying account of the night he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp claiming he mistook her for a burglar when he woke up in the middle of the night.
In a statement read out to Pretoria magistrates court, Oscar Pistorius said he had been on the balcony of his house when he heard noises from the bathroom.
Believing Reeva Steenkamp was asleep in bed, he grabbed his gun and shouted a warning before firing four shots through the door, a judge was told.
It was only then, Oscar Pistorius claims that he realized Reeva Steenkamp was not in bed.
“I kicked the door open,” he said.
“I tried to help her but she died in my arms.”
Oscar Pistorius was sent back to his cells to spend a sixth night in jail until the bail hearing begins again tomorrow morning.
He is now facing the possibility of months in jail after a magistrate ruled that he faces a charge of premeditated murder, making bail unlikely.
Magistrate Desmond Nairmade the ruling after saying he could not exclude the possibility of planning in the death.
The court appearance comes on the same day as Reeva Steenkamp’s funeral, a private service, after her body was returned to her home town of Port Elizabeth.
Today Oscar Pistorius sobbed uncontrollably and at one point the magistrate stopped the proceedings to allow him to regain his composure and have an energy drink.
The sportsman told the court he was “deeply in love” with Reeva Steenkamp and that she had bought him a Valentine’s Day present, but told him not to open it until the following day.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, made the following statement in an affidavit read out by his lawyer.
“I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder, let alone premeditated murder because I had no intention to kill. I had no intention to kill my girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
“I have been informed I have been accused of murder – I deny the accusation. Nothing can be further from the truth that I planned the murder of my girlfriend.
“On February 13 Reeva would have gone out with her friends, me with mine. She wanted to stay at home.
“I was watching TV. My legs were off. She was doing yoga. At the end of the evening we got into bed.
“I’m acutely aware of people gaining entries to homes to commit crime, I’ve received death threats. I sleep with my 9mm under my bed. I woke up to close the sliding door and heard a noise in the bathroom.
“I was scared and didn’t switch on the light. I got my gun and moved towards the bathroom. I screamed at the intruder because I did not have my legs on I felt vulnerable. I fired shots through the bathroom door and told Reeva to call police.
“I walked back to the bed and realized Reeva was not in bed. Its then it dawned on me it could be her in there.
“I kicked the door open. Called paramedics and complex security. I tried to carry her downstairs for help. I tried to help her but she died in my arms.
“With the benefit of hindsight I realize that Reeva went to the bathroom when I went to close the balcony door.”
Oscar Pistorius was sent back to his cells to spend a sixth night in jail until the bail hearing begins again tomorrow morning
When asked by the Magistrate if he agrees with the affidavit as it was read out a trembling Oscar Pistorius answered: “Yes, sir – yes your worship.”
Today the state prosecution admitted they needed to do more work after the defence statement.
Friends of Oscar Pistorius gave compelling testimony to help his case during which his family hugged for strength.
His friend Alex Pilakoutas painted a picture of a loving relationship between the couple saying “they never even argued” and his cousin said the pair were planning to go house-hunting together.
Reeva Steenkamp’s best friend Samantha described Oscar Pistorius as “humble” and the “epitome of a true gentleman”.
She said: “Reeva said if Oscar asked her to marry him, she would probably say yes.”
As this line was read out to the court, Oscar Pistorius bowed his head.
Earlier in the hearing Oscar Pistorius slumped forward with his head in his hands as the prosecutor accused him of murdering an “unarmed and innocent woman”.
Both sides gave graphic descriptions of the events of the evening.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the court that Oscar Pistorius shot the 29-year-old model four times through the bathroom door of his home.
Gerrie Nel painted a picture of premeditated killing – a crime that carries a life sentence in South Africa.
He told the court that Reeva Steenkamp went into the bathroom after the couple had been arguing.
“The applicant armed himself, attached his prosthesis, walked seven metres to the bathroom and shot the deceased while she was in the toilet. He shot four times…There’s no possible explanation to support his report that he thought it was a burglar,” the prosecutor said.
“If I arm myself, walk a distance and murder a person, that is premeditated,” he said.
“The door is closed. There is no doubt. I walk seven metres and I kill.”
“The motive is <<I want to kill>>. That’s it,” he added.
“This deceased was in a 1.4 by 1.14 metre little room. She could go nowhere.”
Gerrie Nel said the killing was premeditated because Oscar Pistorius had planned to say that he thought he was shooting an intruder.
“It was all part of the preplanning. Why would a burglar lock himself inside the bathroom?” Gerrie Nel said.
“She locked that door for a purpose. We’ll get to that purpose,” he said.
“That is where she was when those shots were fired. She couldn’t go anywhere. It must have been horrific.”
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Oscar Pistorius has broken down in tears at court this morning as he begged for bail on the same day Reeva Steenkamp will be buried by her family.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, was hidden under a blanket in the back of a police car as he was swept into the Pretoria courthouse where he was accused of gunning down model Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day.
The Paralympic champion began to sob in the dock before he slumped forwards with his head in his hands as the prosecutor accused him of murdering an “unarmed and innocent woman”.
The court was also told that Reeva Steenkamp had arrived at his home at around 6 p.m., with an overnight bag, before being “shot three times while on the toilet” in the middle of the night.
600 miles away in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth Reeva Steenkamp’s family, friends and loved-ones will be attending her private funeral.
They have demanded to know why their “beautiful angel” was blasted to death with his 9mm gun and have begged the sprinter to “tell the truth” about the shooting when he appears in court today.
Meanwhile olice focus their investigations on Reeva Steenkamp’s iPad amid concerns she received an early-hours message that may have sparked a row.
Oscar Pistorius has broken down in tears at court this morning as he begged for bail on the same day Reeva Steenkamp will be buried by her family
Reeva Steenkamp’s tablet computer was found on the bedroom floor – and this is now being checked by investigators along with both her and Oscar Pistorius’ phone for any clues about her death.
June Steenkamp, Reeva’s mother said: “All we want are answers … answers as to why this had to happen, why our beautiful daughter had to die like this?”
But the mystery of her final moments deepened after the tragedy was recreated in a controversial “cartoon” strip in South Africa.
The bizarre images suggest Reeva Steenkamp was shot in the hip in Oscar Pistorius’ bedroom before being attacked and seeking refuge in the bathroom, sitting on the toilet seat.
Today it also emerged that sportswear brand Nike, one of the athlete’s main sponsors, has no plans to use Oscar Pistorius in future ad campaigns.
This came as Reeva Steenkamp’s brother Adam called for the truth, telling reporters that the only person left alive who can say what happened is Oscar Pistorius.
Asked what could possibly be the motive behind his niece’s murder, Reeva’s uncle Mike Steenkamp said: “The only person who can answer that is Reeva”
But her brother Adam said: “Oscar.”
Adam Steenkamp, a 36-year-old father of two who works at the University of Cambridge, has flown back to his parent’s home in South Africa to help deal with the crisis. Though he is Reeva Steenkamp’s half brother, as they have different mothers, he said that they considered each other direct siblings.
Oscar Pistorius is due back in court in Pretoria today for a bail hearing that may reveal further details of the murder case against him.
Prosecutors plan to pursue a charge of premeditated murder against Oscar Pistorius, a charge he is expected to deny.
His girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, was shot dead at his home on Thursday. Police later recovered a hand gun.
Reeva Steenkamp is due to be cremated at a private ceremony in Port Elizabeth later.
Oscar Pistorius’s appearance in court will be the first since he broke down and wept at an initial hearing on Friday.
Prosecutors are expected to outline their evidence against Oscar Pistorius to support their argument that he should be denied bail before his trial begins.
The athlete is also likely to enter a plea for the first time.
Oscar Pistorius is due back in court in Pretoria today for a bail hearing that may reveal further details of the murder case against him
Oscar Pistorius, who has both legs amputated below the knee, was held at a local police station over the weekend, and has not spoken publicly about Reeva Steenkamp’s death.
But a statement released by Oscar Pistorius’s family suggests he will deny the charges being prepared against him.
“The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms,” it said.
Meanwhile the family of Reeva Steenkamp has spoken of its grief in a newspaper interview published on Monday.
Speaking to the Times of South Africa, her mother June Steenkamp said: “All we want are answers… answers as to why this had to happen, why our beautiful daughter had to die like this.”
The bail hearing is not expected to be televised after lawyers agreed there should be “no live recording” of proceedings.
The case has aroused huge interest both in South Africa, where Oscar Pistorius is regarded as a national hero, and around the world.
Oscar Pistorius rose to fame as one of the most recognizable faces of Paralympic sport, and the first double-amputee track athlete to race in the Olympics.
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South African police are investigating if Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius may have shot dead Reeva Steenkamp in a fit of so-called “steroid rage” – an explosion of aggression caused by performance-boosting steroids.
Officers who searched Oscar Pistorius’ home in Pretoria after Reeva Steenkamp was killed are reported to have found steroids, according to The Sun.
Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was shot four times early on Thursday at Oscar Pistorius’ mansion in a secure housing estate on the outskirts of Pretoria.
This morning police refused to respond to the claim, but sources close to investigation had previously told a local paper that the steroid rage was one line of enquiry and that the star’s blood was being tested for drugs.
Police have rubbished speculation that Oscar Pistorius – who is known to have kept a pistol by his bed and a machine gun at his bedroom window – may have mistaken reeva Steenkamp of three months for an intruder.
As he awaits the result of his bail application tomorrow, it was reported this morning that Oscar Pistorius accidentally discharged a gun in a busy Johannesburg restaurant – and nearly hit his friend’s foot.
Oscar Pistorius visited a branch of the South African restaurant chain Tasha’s with group of friends which included girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in January this year.
According to boxer Kevin Lerena, who was also part of the dining party, Oscar Pistorius was given the gun by someone else in the group.
He was examining the weapon when it suddenly went off, Kevin Lerena claimed.
“I got a huge fright, because the bullet hit the ground just centimetres from my foot,” Kevin Lerena told South Africa’s Beeld newspaper.
He went on: “I must emphasize that the gun belonged to one of Pistorius’ friends – I’m not going to mention his name.
“Oscar just wanted to look at the gun, and it sort of snagged on his pants, releasing the safety catch.
“A shot went off. I wouldn’t call him negligent, it was just an accident. He apologised to me for days afterwards.”
South African police are investigating if Oscar Pistorius may have shot dead Reeva Steenkamp in a fit of so-called steroid rage
The restaurant’s manager Jason Loupis has said that he heard a “loud bang” but that when he went to investigate, everyone on the table denied it was them.
“I went to investigate when I heard the shot, but they all denied it,” said Jason Loupis.
Jason Loupis said he did not inform the police as he could not be certain that a gun was fired.
Reeva Steenkamp will be buried tomorrow – the same day Oscar Pistorius appears before Pretoria chief magistrate Desmond Nair for the start of what is expected to be a two day long bail application.
Mike Steenkamp, who speaks for Reeva’s family, said: “For now, we are just focusing on getting over the funeral … on getting this part of the difficult journey behind us.
“We’re trying not to think about Oscar or the court appearance. We have deliberately not watched TV or listened to the radio. We just don’t want to think about it. We want to blank it all out and focus for now on the here and now.”
Reeva Steenkamp’s heartbroken mother has spoken of her pain for the first time and said that she wants “answers”.
“She had so much of herself to give and now all of it is gone,” June Steenkamp told a local newspaper.
“Just like that, she is gone … In the blink of an eye and a single breath, the most beautiful person who ever lived is no longer here.
“All we have is this horrendous death to deal with … to get to grips with. All we want are answers … answers as to why this had to happen, why our beautiful daughter had to die like this?”
Reeva Steenkamp’s flatmate Gina Myers, refused to comment on her friend’s relationship with Oscar Pistorius.
However, she echoed the call for “answers”, saying: “We want the truth to come out … everyone to be honest about what happened.”
South African police believe Oscar Pistorius may have beaten his girlfriend with a cricket bat before shooting her.
Yesterday it emerged that detectives are reported to have recovered a bloodied bat from Oscar Pistorius’ bedroom and to have established that model Reeva Steenkamp’s skull had been “crushed”.
This and other evidence – a smashed bathroom door, a 9mm pistol, the peculiar pattern of wounds on the body and reports of a row earlier in the evening – is said to have led them to believe the murder case against the athlete is “rock solid”.
Prosecutors have formally charged Oscar Pistorius with premeditated murder but the Blade Runner’s family says he firmly denies such a charge.
Oscar Pistorius is understood to have hired a heavyweight team of experts which include private detectives a pathologist who will conduct their own investigation into Reeva Steenkamp’s death.
Yesterday it emerged that Oscar Pistorius called his close friend Justin Divaris shortly after the killing – reportedly before the emergency services were alerted – and told him: “There has been a terrible accident, I shot Reeva.”
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South African police believe that Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius may have beaten his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp with a cricket bat before shooting her.
Detectives are reported to have recovered a bloodied bat from Oscar Pistorius’ bedroom and to have established that model Reeva Steenkamp’s skull had been “crushed”.
This and other evidence – a smashed bathroom door, a 9 mm pistol, the peculiar pattern of wounds on the body and reports of a row earlier in the evening – is said to have led them to believe the murder case against the sprinter is “rock solid”.
Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was shot four times early on Thursday at Oscar Pistorius’ luxury mansion in a secure housing estate on the outskirts of Pretoria.
Police have rubbished speculation that Oscar Pistorius – who is known to have kept a pistol by his bed and a machine gun at his bedroom window – may have mistaken his girlfriend of three months for an intruder.
Prosecutors have formally charged Oscar Pistorius with premeditated murder but the Blade Runner’s family say he firmly denies such a charge.
Yesterday it emerged that he called his close friend Justin Divaris shortly after the killing – reportedly before the emergency services were alerted – and told him: “There has been a terrible accident, I shot Reeva.”
Justin Divaris rushed to the sportsman’s house, where he said Oscar Pistorius repeatedly told him: “My baba, I’ve killed my baba. God take me away.”
While no officials would comment publicly on the case, a disturbing – though disputed – picture of what may have happened in Oscar Pistorius’ home started to emerge.
Neighbors have said they heard shouting coming from the house at around 1.30 a.m. There were some suggestions, quickly denied, that the row may have been about Reeva Steenkamp’s friendship with a rugby player.
At around 3.20 a.m., four shots rang out – apparently not all at once. The first person Oscar Pistorius called was his father Henke, 59.
When Henke Pistorius arrived, he allegedly saw his son carrying his nightie-clad girlfriend down the stairs.
She had been shot in the head, hip, arm and hand. Pistorius – and later paramedics – struggled in vain to save Reeva Steenkamp’s life.
Police reportedly found the bloodied cricket bat in the bedroom. The en-suite bathroom door was riddled with holes, a pistol holster was found by oscar Pistorius’ bed and a gun cartridge was on the floor.
South Africa’s City Press quoted an unnamed police source as saying: “The suspicion is that the first shot, in the bedroom, hit her in the hip. She then ran and locked herself in the toilet.
“She was doubled over because of the pain. He fired three more shots. She probably covered her head, which is why the bullet also went through her hand.”
South African police believe that Oscar Pistorius may have beaten his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp with a cricket bat before shooting her
The source said police are carrying out tests to establish whose blood is on the bat.
While one scenario is that Oscar Pistorius attacked Reeva Steenkamp with the wooden bat, it has also been claimed that the model may have used it to defend herself.
A third possibility is that Oscar Pistorius used it to break down the bathroom door. Those close to Oscar Pistorius have suggested that he may done so in a bid to “save” his dying girlfriend.
According to this theory, the athlete first shot Reeva Steenkamp by accident, whereupon she fled to the bathroom. He then shot at the door lock to try to get in, accidentally killing her.
Oscar Pistorius’ father appeared to suggest it is this version that he believes.
While he admitted that he had not talked to his son in detail about what happened, he said he had “zero doubt” that the sportsman thought Reeva Steenkamp was an intruder.
A more likely defence from Oscar Pistorius is to acknowledge that there was a row but that he did not intend to kill her.
Some in South Africa have speculated about the nature of Reeva Steenkamp’s friendship with Springbok rugby player Francois Hougaard, and whether this played a part in the tragedy.
Francois Hougaard, 24, was keen to distance himself from such reports at the weekend. His agent said: “This whole sad ordeal has got nothing to do with him.”
Last night Oscar Pistorius’ agent said he had withdrawn him from all planned races but insisted his sponsors were sticking by him.
The tragedy has also cast fresh light on Oscar Pistorius’ apparent attraction to danger and weaponry.
As well as owning a pistol and machine gun, at the time of Reeva Steenkamp’s death he reportedly had seven outstanding firearm licence applications.
One was for same type of assault rifle used in the recent Sandy Hook school massacre in the US.
Oscar Pistorius, who was charged with premeditated murder at a court appearance on Friday, spent the weekend in a police cell ahead of a second hearing planned for tomorrow at which his lawyers are expected to ask for bail.
Police say they will oppose the request.
New reports claimed today that Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius “carried his dying girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp downstairs and tried to resuscitate her as he desperately attempted to save her life”.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, allegedly cradled Reeva Steenkamp, who he allegedly shot four times, as he tried to stop her dying, performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the 29-year-old.
It was reported that Reeva Steenkamp was still breathing when paramedics and security guards rushed to the house.
But paramedics were unable to revive the model and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sources told Beeld, the Afrikaans language newspaper, that security guards heard the shots and rushed to the house, where they saw Oscar Pistorius running down the stairs with the law graduate in his arms.
Oscar Pistorius is said to be on suicide watch due to fears the blade runner might take his own life over charges for the “pre-planned” murder of Reeva Steenkamp, it emerged last night.
The athlete, who wept in the dock yesterday after being charged with shooting dead law graduate Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day, is being held at Brooklyn Police Station prison in Pretoria.
A source said: “Oscar is innocent but he feels as though he has descended into hell. He is absolutely devastated and struggling to deal with his emotions.”
The source told The Sun: “He’s been given a cell to himself at the police station but there are criminals in cells around him and he doesn’t belong there. There are police concerns over his mental state.”
At his hearing earlier yesterday Oscar Pistorius remained silent during the 40 minute hearing but his family and management issued a joint statement insisting: “The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest possible terms.”
It was reported yesterday that Reeva Steenkamp had been hit four times by bullets fired through the door of a bathroom at the luxury complex on the outskirts of Pretoria where Pistorius, a keen marksman, kept a pistol and machine gun.
Reeva Steenkamp, who had only been going out with Oscar Pistorius since November, is said to have been hit in the head, chest, pelvis and hand.
Beeld newspaper said: “The security guards found Pistorius by Steenkamp’s body in the bathroom,” and quoted a neighbour as saying: “The door had bullet holes right through it.”
A 9mm pistol said to have been owned by Oscar Pistorius was seen in a plastic exhibits bag being carried by police officers investigating the killing which has shocked the world.
Oscar Pistorius carried his dying girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp downstairs and tried to resuscitate her as he desperately attempted to save her life
There were gasps from some of the 100 people crowded into Courtroom C of the Magistrates Court as Oscar Pistorius stood with head bowed in front of Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair to the hear the murder charge read out, then started weeping, covering his face with his hands.
“Take it easy,” Desmond Nair told him.
“Come take a seat.”
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the Pretoria court they would argue the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp, a former TV presenter, in the early hours of Thursday was premeditated.
They will tell the court that neighbors heard screaming and shouting from the mansion on the high security Silver Lakes Estate – there had been no robberies there for the past five years – followed by a shot.
Mention of the word “pre-meditated” caused Oscar Pistorius to slump forward and he could be seen to be breathing heavily through his hands.
Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius, who in London last year became the first athlete to compete at both an Olympic and Paralympic Games, are said to be preparing to argue the shooting was a tragic accident.
If found guilty of premeditated murder, Oscar Pistorius faces an automatic life sentence. He would not be eligible to be considered for parole until he is aged 51.
Police have dismissed initial claims that Oscar Pistorius had mistakenly shot his girlfriend believing she was an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius, who was dressed in a grey suit and blue tie, had been expected to apply for bail, but this has been postponed until Tuesday after the defence and prosecution agreed to allow more time for this to be heard.
He will be held in custody at Brooklyn Prison in Pretoria, next door to the firearms registration centre, until then.
Oscar Pistorius said nothing during the 40-minute hearing. His father, Henke, sister Aimee and brother, Carl, sat directly behind him in the packed court-room, occasionally leaning forward to give him a supportive pat on the shoulder.
As the athlete began to weep, Carl Pistorius lent forward and laid a hand on his brother, squeezing him slightly.
His family later issued a staunch denial of the allegation.
They said: “Firstly, and most importantly, all our thoughts today must be with the family and friends of Reeva Steenkamp.
“Oscar Pistorius has made history as an Olympic and Paralympic sportsman and has been an inspiration to others the world over.
“He has made it very clear that he would like to send his deepest sympathies to the family of Reeva.
“He would also like to express his thanks through us for all the messages of support he has received – but as stated our thoughts and prayers today should be for Reeva and her family, regardless of the circumstances of this terrible, terrible tragedy.”
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Tropika Island of Treasure, the reality TV show featuring girlfriend of Oscar Pistorius, Reeva Steenakamp, is to be broadcast this weekend as scheduled, despite her tragic death.
Producers of Tropika Island of Treasure said they had decided not to shelve the pre-recorded show, which will premiere on South African TV on Saturday.
Filmed in Jamaica, the celebrity show sees Reeva Steenkamp compete to win the one million rand prize ($115,000).
Reeva Steenkamp was found shot dead in the athlete’s home on Thursday.
“This week’s episode will be dedicated to Reeva’s memory,” a Tropika Island of Treasure producer said.
In a statement, executive producer Samantha Moon said: “As we grieve today with Reeva’s family and friends and struggle to make sense of this shocking tragedy, it has taken much deliberation to come to the decision to continue screening Tropika Island of Treasure 5 as planned.”
A special tribute will be broadcast ahead of Saturday’s show, on SABC1, at 18:30 local time.
Tropika Island of Treasure, now in its fifth series, sees seven South African celebrities and seven other contestants embark on a string of “adrenaline-fuelled” challenges over a period of 10 weeks, while living at two “7-star” villas.
Each week the winner of the challenge can decide who stays and who leaves the island.
Tropika Island of Treasure, the reality TV show featuring girlfriend of Oscar Pistorius, Reeva Steenakamp, is to be broadcast this weekend as scheduled, despite her tragic death
Asked to describe herself in three words for the show, Reeva Steenkamp, 29, said: “Brainy, blonde, bombshell.”
The model and law graduate, was shot dead inside the Pretoria home of Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp had been together since November.
Prosecutors have said they will pursue Oscar Pistorius on a “premeditated murder” charge.
A message on the reality show’s website reads: “We are deeply saddened and extend our condolences to Reeva’s family and friends.”
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Oscar Pistorius has strongly rejected a charge that he murdered his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, was shot dead at South African Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius’s home near Pretoria on Thursday.
Appearing in court in Pretoria, Oscar Pistorius, 26, wept as prosecutors vowed to pursue a charge of premeditated murder.
An application for bail was postponed until next Tuesday and the athlete will remain in police custody.
Dubbed “blade runner”, he made history last summer by becoming the first double-amputee track athlete to run in an Olympic Games.
“The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms,” said a statement released by Oscar Pistorius’s family and management company after the court hearing.
“Our thoughts and prayers today should be for Reeva and her family – regardless of the circumstances of this terrible, terrible tragedy,” it said.
They were the first words released on behalf of Oscar Pistorius since Reeva Steenkamp was found fatally wounded at his home in the gated Silver Woods development outside the South African capital.
But they gave no explanation of what had happened.
Hours earlier, Oscar Pistorius sobbed audibly during his initial appearance at Pretoria Magistrates Court.
Dozens of reporters witnessed the hearing, where chief magistrate Desmond Nair was presiding.
The defendant cut a lonely figure in a crowded court, with his hands clenched and his neck muscles twitching, before he held his head forward, breathing heavily through tears.
When Prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued for the graver charge of “premeditated murder”, Oscar Pistorius slumped forward at the mention of the words.
If convicted of premeditated murder, Oscar Pistorius will face a life term in prison. But his defence is seeking a lesser charge, possibly culpable homicide, which is defined in South African law as unlawful, negligent killing.
Oscar Pistorius has strongly rejected a charge that he murdered his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp
Media access was discussed at the 40-minute session and the magistrate ruled that there should be no live recording of the bail hearings.
Oscar Pistorius’s team had argued against such coverage and cited his “extremely traumatized state of mind”.
Both prosecution and defence agreed Oscar Pistorius could remain in custody at a police station and not in prison.
Members of Oscar Pistorius’s family, including sister Aimee, brother Carl and father Henke, were in the courtroom.
His brother and father, sitting behind the athlete, reached forward to touch his shoulder during the proceedings.
Oscar Pistorius had earlier arrived at court in the back of a police vehicle, hiding his face with a jacket and notebook.
Forensic scientists are expected to continue examining the house in the Silver Lakes area on the outskirts of South Africa’s administrative capital where Reeva Steenkamp died.
Correspondents say the athlete’s arrest has stunned the country where he is considered a national hero.
Oscar Pistorius is known as “blade runner” because of the carbon fibre prosthetic blades he races in. He was born without a fibula in both legs and had his legs amputated below the knee before his first birthday.
Police were called to his home in the early hours of Thursday morning.
They found paramedics treating a 29-year-old woman with four gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. She died at the scene, and officers recovered a 9mm pistol.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Friday but the results would not be made public, police said.
Reeva Steenkamp’s body is due to be flown home to Port Elizabeth for a memorial service next Tuesday, South African media report – the same day that Oscar Pistorius is next expected in court.
They had reportedly been dating since November.
Model Reeva Steenkamp was already well known in South Africa but was seen as being on the verge of a new career, with her appearance in a pre-recorded reality TV show set to start on Saturday.
The producers of Tropika Island of Treasure said they were going ahead with the programme, filmed in Jamaica, after “much deliberation“.
“Every episode that she is in, every frame that she so ably dominates – shines with her light and her laughter echoes in every conversation, and we want to share these special memories with the rest of South Africa,” the programme said.
Meanwhile, world athletics figures spoke of their shock at what had happened.
His training partner, UK 400 m runner Martyn Rooney, released a statement saying his “thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those involved”.
“I’ve not heard what he has to say. I wouldn’t want to be in his situation, but I hope that, at the end of it all, justice will prevail,” said Jamaica’s Olympic women’s 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
Oscar Pistorius dominated in his category at successive Paralympic Games, but in 2008 he won a legal battle over his blades – which critics said gave him an unfair advantage – with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for the right to compete in able-bodied competitions.
He reached the 40 0m semi-finals in the London 2012 Olympics. At the Paralympics he won silver in the T44 200 m, gold in the 4×100 m relay and gold in the T44 400 m, setting a Paralympic record.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of crime in the world and many residents keep weapons to protect themselves against intruders.
But gun ownership is strictly regulated and it is not easy to obtain a licence.
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Oscar Pistorius is appearing in court to face a murder charge after his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, was shot at his mansion near Pretoria.
South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius held his head in his hands and was in tears as the murder charge was formally read out in the magistrates’ court.
A decision will be taken on whether the athlete should be granted bail.
Prosecutors will argue that Oscar Pistorius should remain in custody.
Dozens of photographers are in the courtroom in Pretoria, where chief magistrate Desmond Nair is hearing the bail application.
The defendant cut a lonely figure, with his head forward and breathing heavily through tears.
It is likely that some details of both the case against the 26-year-old, and his defence, will be revealed.
Television cameras have been allowed in court for the hearing and media access is now being discussed. Members of Oscar Pistorius’s family, including his sister and father, are in the courtroom.
Oscar Pistorius has undergone medical and DNA tests. His lawyer, Kenny Oldwage, earlier said that his client was “very well, obviously emotional, but fine”.
The defence is expected to argue that Oscar Pistorius is not a flight risk and should be given bail.
Forensic experts are expected to continue examining the house in the upmarket Silver Woods gated community on the outskirts of South Africa’s administrative capital where Reeva Steenkamp, 29, died.
Correspondents say the athlete’s arrest has stunned the country where Oscar Pistorius is considered a national hero.
Oscar Pistorius is appearing in court to face a murder charge after his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, was shot at his mansion near Pretoria
Oscar Pistorius made history in London last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete in the Olympic Games.
He is known as the “blade runner” because of the carbon fibre prosthetic blades he races in. He was born without a fibula in both legs and had his legs amputated below the knee before his first birthday.
Police were called to Oscar Pistorius’ home in the early hours of Thursday morning.
They found paramedics treating a 29-year-old woman with four gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. She died at the scene, and officers recovered a 9mm pistol.
Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp had reportedly been dating since November.
The athelete dominated in his category at successive Paralympic Games, but in 2008 he won a legal battle over his blades – which critics said gave him an unfair advantage – with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for the right to compete in able-bodied competitions.
Oscar Pistorius reached the 400m semi-finals in the London 2012 Olympics. At the Paralympics he won silver in the T44 200m, gold in the 4×100 relay and gold in the T44 400m, setting a Paralympic record.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of crime in the world and many residents keep weapons to protect themselves against intruders.
But gun ownership is strictly regulated and it is not easy to obtain a licence.
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