Pistorius bail application continues

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius during his bail application in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court. Picture: Herman Verwey/City Press

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius’s bail application will run into its second day in Pretoria Magistrate’s Court today.

Pistorius was arrested on Thursday morning after his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead at his home in Silver Woods country estate, in Pretoria. He was charged with murder on Friday.

The State intends arguing that the murder was pre-meditated.

Pistorius was emotional yesterday when his affidavit on how he shot Steenkamp was read to the court, but his brother Carl was there to support him.

In the 10-page affidavit read to the court by his advocate Barry Roux, Pistorius denied the murder allegation “in the strongest terms“.

The court heard: “I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder, let alone premeditated murder, as I had no intention to kill my girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.”

His version of events was presented in application for bail on the same day Steenkamp’s memorial service was held in Port Elizabeth, more than 1000km away.

Meanwhile, around 100 journalists from local and international media houses queued outside the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court this morning.

Seven outside broadcast vans were parked on Bosman street, next to the court.

Several video cameras on tripods were placed near the entrance of the court.

Pistorius was brought to court at 6.45am today by two police cars. He was sitting on the back seat of a police sedan.

He covered his head with a blue towel as photographers jostled to take shots of the athlete.

Popular businessman Kenny Kunene walked into the court before 7am. He parked a blue Porsche along Francis Baard Street.

- Sapa