Pistorius free to compete

Lawyers for the “Blade Runner”, who was not in court for the hearing, applied for the conditions to be changed to allow Pistorius to travel abroad to compete.
The 26-year-old is on bail after being charged with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot dead at his home in Pretoria last month.

Pistorius is likely to stand trial before the end of the year, the High Court in Pretoria heard today, and his next court appearance is on June 4.
Meanwhile, Pistorius’ agent, Peet van Zyl, said soon after the ruling that his client could even run at the world championships in Moscow in August.

‘Based on this (judge’s decision), and if he is up for it and qualifies, the world championships will definitely be on the radar,’ Van Zyl said.
‘He’s going to be the one that determines running and training. It’s his call. He’s the one under all the pressure for the court case and grieving for Reeva.’

The judge also ruled in favour of Pistorius on three other conditions. He no longer has to be regularly supervised by a probation official and a ban against him drinking alcohol was lifted.
Bam also slammed one of the bail conditions imposed by another judge, saying that a condition that he would be in breach of his bail if he was accused of another crime against women was ‘fraud.’

It went against Pistorius’ constitutional right to be innocent until proven guilty, and being accused of a crime should not count against him, Bam said in a ruling that came three hours after the hearing began.

Pistorius, a double amputee and six-time Paralympic sprint champion, claims he shot 30-year-old Ms Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.
He was released on bail by magistrate Desmond Nair last month on a number of conditions, including having to surrender his passport and to report to police twice a week.

His lawyer Barry Roux yesterday asked for several conditions to be relaxed, saying Pistorius — who has been staying with relatives — was effectively under ‘house arrest’.
Judge Bert Bam granted the appeal, saying there was no reason Pistorius should not be allowed to leave the country if he was invited to compete abroad.

But the star must provide a copy of his itinerary to officials before he plans to travel, the judge ruled.
Earlier this week Ms Steenkamp’s parents June and Barry spoke of their grief over her death.

Mrs Steenkamp told Grazia magazine: ‘He (Pistorius) still has his thoughts. He still has to answer for this. I don’t want anything from him. What could he say to me? My daughter is dead and nothing is going to change that. I don’t ever want to see him.

‘My biggest regret is that Reeva will never have a wedding day. She’ll never have a child. This is for ever. It’s the end.’

Pistorius’s brother Carl yesterday appeared in court in a separate case, in which he is charged with the culpable homicide of a female motorcyclist in a 2008 road crash.
He pleaded not guilty and is due to appear in court again next week. —Mailonline.