Chaos at Oscar Pistorius bail hearing

Telegraph reporter Aislinn Laing describes a chaotic scene at the South African courthouse where Oscar Pistorius has made a second appearance charged with killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Family members and relatives of Oscar Pistorius, including his father Henke, brother Carl and sister Aimee jammed into the court room in South African capital Pretoria on Tuesday for a bail hearing in the killing of the athlete's girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

South African prosecutors charged the international superstar with premeditated murder saying he fired into the door of a cubicle toilet where his girlfriend was cowering after a shouting match on Valentine's Day, hitting her three times said prosecutor Gerrie Nel said.

Defence lawyer Barry Roux disputed the murder charge, saying the facts surrounding the shooting in the early hours of Thursday were unclear.

The killing has shocked South Africans and many around the world who idolised Pistorius for overcoming adversity to become a sporting champion, competing in the London Olympics last year despite being a Paralympian.

Ms Steenkamp, 29, was a model and law graduate who made her debut on a South African reality TV programme on Saturday, two days after her death.

Pistorius, who had appeared grim and solemn at the start of the hearing, broke down and sobbed softly with his head in his hands as his lawyer argued that he had mistaken Steenkamp for a burglar.

The shooting in the early hours of February 14 came after neighbours had heard a loud argument and then gunshots, police have said. The couple had been dating for about three months.

As details emerged at the dramatic court hearing in the capital, Steenkamp's body was being cremated at a memorial service in her home city of Port Elizabeth in the south.

The defence attorney, in arguing that Pistorius should be freed on bail, said there were no other charges outstanding against the double-amputee.

Legal experts say it could take months for the case to be tried.

Follow the latest developments as South African athlete Oscar Pistorius appears in court: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/world...

Get the latest headlines http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Subscribe to The Telegraph http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...

Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/telegraph.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/telegraph
Follow us on Google+ https://plus.google.com/1028913550727...

Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Daily Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.

• Category

  News & Politics

[Bnei Hashem]

You do not know South Africa...

[khbkb]

Police reconstruction indicates that Pistorius lost it when, for his Valentine’s Day gift, his girlfriend gave him a pair of socks.

[Lee Holden]

Crazy!

[Mikhail Govender]

He sould of bribed the police LOL

[ibabaka]

yes we have to point it out 1000000 times so your retarded brain can understand. You are welcome.

[innismor11]

Welcome!! You are now the 17th person to point that out here.

The first to swear and lash out about it though. have you some personal problems? Do you need some help with them? Do seek help if that is the case.

[ibabaka]

SA has no jury you fuckin idiot

[ibabaka]

stop YELLING you moron

[ibabaka]

hahahahha omg

[ibabaka]

hahhahahahahah lmao