admin
to kill his model girlfriend after being accused of shooting her repeatedly through a locked bathroom door in what prosecutors said was a “premeditated” Valentine’s Day murder.
The double-amputee Olympian and Paralympian “Blade Runner” is seeking bail at the hearing which is expected to reveal more about what happened the night his covergirl law graduate lover Reeva Steenkamp was killed.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the Pretoria magistrate’s court that Pistorius armed himself, put on his prosthesis, walked seven metres and fired three shots through a locked bathroom door at Steenkamp, saying this showed premeditation on the part of the star athlete.
The 26-year-old defendant, making his second court appearance over the killing, appeared in the dock in a black suit, blue shirt and grey tie and stared straight ahead anxiously, sometimes mumbling under his breath.
Steenkamp (29), who was shot four times in the early hours of Thursday by a 9mm pistol owned by the sprinter, was laid to rest at a private ceremony in her hometown of Port Elizabeth yesterday.
Pistorius’ family has insisted that the evidence will refute “any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder at all”.
Defence lawyers are expected to argue that there are “exceptional circumstances” for Pistorius to be freed pending trial.
As a result, more details will likely emerge of what happened during the Valentine’s Day shooting at Pistorius’s upmarket home in a gated estate in Pretoria.
The state has said it would oppose bail. Both sides have called in heavyweight lawyers, setting the scene for a massive legal showdown.
Unconfirmed reports have suggested Pistorius mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, while other reports said she was beaten with a cricket bat before being shot multiple times.
In an interview published on Monday, Steenkamp’s mother described Reeva’s death as “horrendous.”
“Why my little girl? Why did this happen? Why did he do this?” June Steenkamp told the Times of South Africa.
“She had so much of herself to give and now all that is gone. 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.”
Pistorius, who broke down in sobs during his first court appearance on Friday, has built up a powerful team of lawyers, medical specialists and public relations experts for his defence.
Stuart Higgins, a former editor of British tabloid The Sun, whose lengthy list of clients includes British Airways, Chelsea FC and Manchester United football club, has taken over his public relations. One of the lawyers, Kenny Oldwage, defended the driver in a 2010 accident that killed former president Nelson Mandela’s great-grandchild Zenani. The driver was acquitted.
A global inspirational figure, Pistorius was the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes in the 2012 London Olympic Games. His nickname was inspired by his custom-built carbon-fibre running blades. The Johannesburg-born runner had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old after being born without lower leg bones. — AFP.
Online Reporter