Published: 2013 February 23 10:19:03 (5804 Views)

Oscar Pistorius has spent his first night out of custody after successful bail hearing.

Bail conditions

    Must hand over 1 million rand: 100,000 rand in cash up front, and proof that the rest is available
    Must turn in passports and any guns that he owns
    Cannot leave Pretoria without permission from probation officer, nor can he return to his home
    Forbidden to take drugs or drink alcohol
    Must report to police station between 07:00 and 13:00 every Monday and Friday

Pistorius faces murder charges over the shooting of his girlfriend but he denies murder, saying he shot Reeva Steenkamp, 29, thinking she was an intruder at his home.

At a pre-trial hearing on Friday, a Pretoria magistrate ruled the state had not made a case that he would flee, or that he had a violent character.

The next hearing is set for 4 June.

Mr Pistorius spent eight nights in a police cell in Pretoria, following his arrest on 14 February.

After Friday's ruling granting him bail, he left the court in a silver car pursued by photographers.

The athlete is staying at his uncle's house in Pretoria.

Reports say he may start training again and hold talks with his coach.

Magistrate Desmond Nair set bail at 1m rand (£74,000; $113,000).

Mr Pistorius was also ordered to hand over his passport, avoid his home in Pretoria and report to a police station every Monday and Friday.

Mr Nair took almost two hours to deliver his judgement.

He criticised the testimony of Detective Hilton Botha for not following up important leads and changing his evidence.

The magistrate also said Mr Pistorius had "reached out to meet the state's case" and had given a full version of events at an early stage.

Even by his own account of events, Oscar Pistorius displayed the most extreme recklessness in firing blindly into a closed door, without even the most basic appreciation of who or what might lie behind it.

The family of Reeva Steenkamp, whom Oscar told friends he thought might become his wife say they want the truth.

His uncle, Arnold Pistorius, said outside court: "We are relieved by the fact that Oscar got bail today, but at the same time, we are in mourning for Reeva Steenkamp and her family."

The hearing began on Tuesday and both prosecution and defence laid out their cases.

Both sides agree that Mr Pistorius shot through the bathroom door four times, hitting and killing Ms Steenkamp.

But prosecutors allege the shooting happened after the couple had an argument at Mr Pistorius's home in the early hours of 14 February.

Det Botha told the court that witnesses had heard shouting, screaming and gunfire from about 600m (2,000ft) away.

But later he changed his evidence to suggest the witnesses were much closer.

And on Thursday it emerged that Det Botha faces allegations of attempted murder, and he was removed from the case.

The prosecutors sought to portray Mr Pistorius as man with a history of violence who was likely to flee the country.




- BBC

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