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14 Feb 2013

Oscar Pistorius to appear in court on murder charge

Oscar Pistorius, the South African Paralympic idol, will appear in court on Friday charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius, winner of the T44 400m at the London 2012 games, was due to appear in court at midday GMT on Thursday, but the case was delayed until Friday morning in order to allow forensic investigators to carry out their work.

South African police confirmed on Thursday that there had been a fatal shooting of a 30-year-old woman at Pistorius’s home, that the arrested man and the deceased were the only two people that were in the home, and that the arrested man had been charged with murder. They did not confirm the charged man was Pistorius.

South African police responded to a call in the early hours of the morning that there had been a shooting at the double-amputee sprinter’s home in Pretoria.

Read more on South Africa and guns

Lt Col Katlego Mogale told the Associated Press that when police arrived at the scene paramedics were trying to revive the woman, who had been shot an unspecified number of times. Officers found a 9mm pistol in the house.

He told the South African Press Association: “Paramedics declared the woman dead on the scene and police proceeded with their investigation. The woman sustained wounds to her head and the upper body.”

Domestic ‘incidents’

Brigadier Denise Beukes of the local police told reporters that there had been reports of shouting in the apartment at that witnesses are being interviewed.

“There are still detectives on the premises,” she said. “There are allegations but we are not sure. It would be irresponsible of me to say what happened at this stage. We are not sure.”

She said the only people at the home at the time of the incident were “the resident and the deceased”, and that there had been previous “incidents” at the home.

“I can confirm there have previously been incidents at the home of Oscar Pistorius – allegations of a domestic nature,” she said.

Oscar Pistorius: highs and lows

November 22 1986: Born without fibula in both legs.

1987: Aged 11 months, his parents decide he should have both legs amputated below the knee. Despite this he goes on to play rugby, water polo and tennis as a schoolboy.

2004: After shattering his knee playing rugby, he reverts to athletics aged 17. After two months, he breaks the world record.

May 2005: Competes in the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester and wins the 100m and 200m, both in world record breaking times.

September 2006: Wins three gold medals at the IPC World Championships.

2007: In a year in which he breaks both his world records, awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year accolade.

2008: The world athletics governing body rules Pistorius's prosthetic legs are ineligible for use in competitions. He gets the ruling overturned, and goes on to win three gold medals at the Beijing Paralympic Games, including one world record.

2009: "Shatters" his face in a boat accident, and needs more than 170 stitches.

2011: Wins three IPC titles in New Zealand, but is beaten for the first time in seven years in the 100 metres by British paralympian Jonnie Peacock.

2012: Becomes the first amputee runner ever to compete in an Olympic team. After losing the Paralympic T44 200m final to Alan Oliveira, complains his rival had an unfair advantage because of his prosthetics. He later apologises. Loses out to Jonnie Peacock in the 100m final but wins the 400m gold

2013: Arrested over the fatal shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius’s lawyer told reporters that the athlete is “doing OK”, but it “obviously very emotional”. (see video, below)

Valentine’s accident?

The Beeld newspaper named the deceased woman as Pistorius’s girlfriend, 30-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp (pictured, below).

Steenkamp’s publicist Sarit Tomlinson told Sky News: “It’s shocking. No one knows what happened. We’re waiting for information. There are people we are waiting to speak to, to validate some of the stories.”

Read more: Who was Reeva Steenkamp?

There was also media speculation in South Africa she may have been shot after being mistaken for a burglar, and that she may have been trying to surprise the Paralympic star for Valentine’s day.

However, Brigadier Denise Beukes said police were “very surprised” by the burglar suggestion, telling reporters near the scene: “These allegations did not come from us.”

Reeva Steenkamp (picture: Getty)

Murder investigation

Lt Col Mogale told local media: “At this stage we are still conducting a preliminary inquiry. Statements are conducted with neighbours and people who were at the scene. A case of murder was being investigated.”

South Africa’s Sports Confederation and Olympic committee released a statement later Thursday saying they had been “inundated” with requests for comment but were not in a position to give out any details of the shooting.

“SASCOC, like the rest of the public, knows no more than what is in the public domain, which is there has been an alleged fatal shooting on the basis of a mistaken identity and an apparent assumption of a burglary,” the South African Olympic committee said.

“The organization is in no position to comment on the incident other than to say our deepest sympathy and condolences have been expressed to the families of all concerned.”

Security

The Silver Lakes Golf Estate, where Pistorius lives, is supposed to be one of the safest in the country. According to the estate’s website it was voted “the most secure estate in South Africa” in 2009.

Silver Lakes has electrified fences, 24-hour armed guards and manned controlled access. Prices for homes in the estate can be up to nine million South African rand (£650,000).

The estate consists of 1,6000 plots of land set around an 18-hole golf course. It also has tennis courts,a driving range, a restaurant, a squash club and a fishing club.

Twitter reaction

A number of Paralympic athletes took to Twitter to express their condolences to the families of Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp.

Gold medallist Hannah Cockroft wrote: “Everyone makes mistakes. My thoughts are with everyone involved, you’re still a hero to me,” whilst Jonnie Peacock, who raced against Pistorius, wrote: “Can not believe it…”

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