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Johannesburg – A report that Oscar Pistorius threw a “wobbly” when he heard that the state’s application for leave to appeal his conviction was successful, is untrue, his lawyer said on Friday.
“The story as published by The Times is simply untrue. This type of reporting is irresponsible and misleads the public,” Brian Webber said in a statement.
Webber was responding to a report by The Times on Thursday that said Pistorius was “pissed off” and “lost it” at the Kgosi Mampuru II prison where he is incarcerated.
The Times quoted an inmate saying Pistorius was listening to the ruling on radio.
“He got up and stomped. He went straight to the gym. He started lifting weights like it was going out of fashion. He is pissed off,” the prisoner was quoted as saying.
“Who wouldn’t be? He was definitely expecting to be out by August.”
The prisoner reportedly said Pistorius could barely console himself over the fact that he would be in prison over Christmas and New Year.
However, Webber said the story, published on the front page on Thursday, was not only sensationalist but also devoid of truth.
“The story, relating to Oscar’s reaction . . . after learning that his acquittal for murder will be appealed is not only sensationalist but also devoid of any truth,” Webber said.
“I personally went to see Oscar straight after Judge [Thokozile] Masipa gave her ruling and discussed it at length with Oscar at approximately 10:45. This was the first time Oscar received any information on what had transpired in court.”
On Wednesday, Masipa ruled in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that the state was granted leave to appeal Pistorius’s culpable homicide conviction for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, but not his five-year jail term. — Sapa
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