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Johannesburg — The murder trial of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius at the High Court in Pretoria has been extended until mid-May, the office of the chief justice said yesterday.
“The Oscar Pistorius trial continues . . . on Monday 24 March to Friday 4 April,” said spokesperson Lulama Luti in a statement.
She said the court would then be in recess until April 11. “After the recess, the trial will resume on Monday 14 April until Friday May 16.”
Previously, the trial was scheduled to continue until April 4. It was initially set down from March 3 to 20.
On Thursday, Pistorius’s lawyer, Brian Webber, said the murder accused had to put up his house in the Silver Woods Country Estate for sale in order to fund his legal costs.
“This is due to the unexpected extension of the trial [at that stage, until 4 April] beyond the initial three-week period for which it was originally set down,” Webber said in a statement.
The star athlete has been charged with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and contravening the Firearms Control Act.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Pistorius has said he thought there was an intruder in the house when he fired into a toilet cubicle, realising only afterwards it was Steenkamp.
He is due back in court today after the trial was postponed on Wednesday to allow the State to make final witness consultations.
The State has told the court it intends calling about five more witnesses to the stand. — Sapa
Online Reporter