ANTOINE DE RAS/EPA
South African star sprinter Oscar Pistorius weeps as he appears in the Pretoria magistrates court after spending the night in police custody in Pretoria. Pistorius has been officially charged with murder.
 Olympic hero Oscar Pistorius stood weeping in a South African courtroom Friday as prosecutors charged him with the cold-blooded murder of his model girlfriend.
The double-amputee sprinter, known as the “Blade Runner,†clutched his head in his hands as his shoulders heaved during his first court appearance in the shooting of beautiful blond Reeva Steenkamp.
South African prosecutors, in a move that drew gasps in the crowded courtroom, alleged the Valentine Day’s killing of the internationally known Steenkamp was premeditated murder.
PHOTOS: OSCAR PISTORIUS CHARGED WITH MURDER OF REEVA STEENKAMP
The defendant did not speak or enter a plea during his appearance.
Shortly after the emotional courtroom scene, the Pistorius family released a statement challenging the charges against the inspirational athlete.
“The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms,†the seven-paragraph statement said without elaborating.
RELATED: OSCAR PISTORIUS’ FAMILY RELEASES STATEMENT
Pistorius “has made it very clear that he would like to send his deepest sympathies to the family of Reeva ... Our thoughts and prayers today should be for Reeva and her family.â€
But the Afrikaans daily newspaper Beeld reported that Steenkamp was cowering behind a bathroom door in her boyfriend’s house when she was shot four times with a 9-mm. handgun.
The 29-year-old victim was struck in the head, chest, pelvis and hand, the newspaper said. The two began dating about four months before the slaying.
RELATED: REEVA STEENKAMP REMEMBERED FOR BEAUTY AND BRAINS
Security guards in Pistorius’ gated Pretoria community found him sitting alongside the bloody body in the bathroom â€" with the bullet holes obvious in the door, according to Beeld.
Pistorius, 26, was returned to his jail cell pending a bail hearing, which was postponed until Tuesday. Prosecutors indicated they will oppose bail in the case, and the murder suspect will remain behind bars at a Pretoria police station.
The six-time Paralympic gold medalist’s attorney said Pistorius was in an “extremely traumatized state†â€" and even the judge tried to soothe the accused killer.
RELATED: THE SCORE: PISTORIUS' GRIPES A CRYING SHAME
“Take it easy,†Magistrate Desmond Nair told the crying Pistorius. “Come take a seat.â€
The suspect arrived in court wearing a gray suit and blue tie, initially keeping his composure before breaking down.
His brother Carl and his father, Henke, both tried to console the overwrought Pistorius, reaching out to touch the Olympic runner’s shaking shoulders.
PHOTOS: BEST PHOTOS FROM THE 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS
Pistorius was led away with his head in his hands after the 40-minute hearing, which drew a plethora of reporters and photographers.
Steenkamp, a model and budding reality-TV show participant, was shot and killed at Pistorius' upscale home in a suburb of the South African capital.
The pair were alone in the house at the time of the killing. The suspected murder weapon was recovered at the scene.
The 3 a.m. shooting reverberated across South Africa, where Pistorius is a national hero, and around the globe, where he was a symbol of courage and determination.
Police were reportedly called to the house in the Silver Woods community two hours before the shooting after neighbors complained of a loud argument between Pistorius and Steenkamp.
An ex-girlfriend of Pistorius took to Twitter to defend the sprinter-turned-suspect, insisting he had no history of violence toward women.
RELATED: LUPICA: DIFFERENT GUN, SAME STORY IN OSCAR PISTORIUS CASE
“I would just like to say, I have dated Oscar on/off for 5 YEARS, NOT ONCE has he EVER lifted a finger to me, made me fear for my life,†said Jenna Edkins.
“All I am saying is let him speak, let his side be heard without jumping to conclusions. Love and thoughts to Reeva’s family.â€
The runner and the model became close after making their public debut in November 2012. In last weekend's Sunday Independent newspaper, she described Pistorius as having “impeccable†taste.
RELATED: STEENKAMP PLANNED TO SPEAK ON DOMESTIC ABUSE
"His gifts are always thoughtful," she was quoted as saying.
Hours before her death she asked her thousands of Twitter followers what they were planning for Valentines’ Day: "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited.â€
Pistorius, born without a fibula in both legs, races wearing carbon fiber prosthetic blades. He was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics, and reached the 400 meter semi-finals in London last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment