Pistorius bail hearing continues

Feb 20 2013

Lawyers acting for murder-accused sports star Oscar Pistorius are expected to step up their fight to keep him out of prison as his bail hearing continues.

On Tuesday, on the first day of the hearing, the court heard the Paralympian claim he shot his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp because he thought she was a robber.

But chances of him being given bail seemed slimmer when Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled the case a schedule six offence - meaning premeditated murder.

It means his lawyers now have to prove "exceptional circumstances" to have any chance of him being bailed until he goes on trial.

The gold-medal winner, known as the Blade Runner, is accused of murdering Miss Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria, South Africa, last Thursday.

Pistorius's lawyer, Barry Roux, read out a statement to a packed courtroom in Pretoria which gave his version of the events that led to Ms Steenkamp's death.

The 26-year-old denies murder and said the couple were "deeply in love".

In the statement, the defendant said he felt vulnerable because he was not wearing his prosthetic legs. He claimed he fired his gun into the bathroom, but then realised Ms Steenkamp was not in his bed. "It filled me with horror and fear," Pistorius said.

Upon realising his mistake, he put on his legs, walked towards the bathroom and broke down the locked door with a cricket bat. He said he ran downstairs carrying his 29-year-old girlfriend, but "she died in my arms".

Pistorius continued: "I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder, let alone premeditated murder, as I did not plan to murder my girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp."