Zeenews Sports Bureau
#Update 22: The court has adjourned until 9am South African time tomorrow – 7am GMT.
#Update 21: Soon after Magistrate Desmond Nair returned and the proceedings resumed, Pistorius’ team concluded their evidence for bail but asked for more time to add substantial evidence in terms of the information they have asked from the prosecutors. The prosecuting lawyer Gerrie Nel, says he will call the investigating officer, Hilton Botha, and consult with him regarding that after which Nel asks for a postponement until tomorrow to which Nair agrees.
#Update 20: Roux then reads out a fourth statement, from another Pistorius’ friend named as Graham. Graham's statement shows how Pistorius feared criminals. “I suggested driving to see me. Pistorius warned of a car hijacking syndicate in nearby complex so I wouldn't be safe,” it said. Soon after reading the fourth statement, Roux asks for a short adjournment and the court breaks for five minutes.
#Update 19: A third statement, from Sam Greyvenstein, Steenkamp's best friend and Divaris's girlfriend, says that Reeva liked Pistorius who treated her “like gold.” "In my experience Oscar and Reeva had nothing but love for each other," Greyvenstein's statement further added.
#Update 18: Justin Divaris, who has been reported in the media as Pistorius' "best friend" says that he was the one who introduced Pistorius with Reeva and they both immediately complemented each other. Divaris further says how Pistorius would tell him how much he loved Steenkamp who could be ‘the one’ for him. Pistorius once again fights tears after hearing this.
#Update 17: Barry Roux then reads two statements of Pistorius’ friends who say that the paralympian star was a "humble, gentle, sensitive person" who was in love with his girlfriend.
#Update 16: Pistorius’ statement says he is willing to surrender his passports in case if it is a condition of bail. Nair asks Pistorius if he is satisfied with his statement. "Yes, sir. Yes, your worship," he replies.
#Update 15: Oscar then put his legs on and went to the balcony asking for help. He went to the bed and saw Reeva wasn’t there. He then smashed the bathroom door with a cricket door and saw she was still alive. Pistorius called Netcare, picked her up and went downstairs for help. Pistorius says he tried to save his girlfriend but she died in his arms leaving him “mortified.”
#Update 14: Pistorius' statement resumes. He says he always keeps a 9mm pistol with him as he has received death threats in the past. He further says that when he went outside to get a fan, he heard a noise from the bathroom that sent a "sense of terror" within him. He didn't switch on the light, his girlfriend was in the bed. He moved towards the bathroom and screamed at the intruder. Since he didn't have his prosthetic legs on, he fired shots through the bathroom door and asked his girlfriend to call the police. He then realised that Reeva wasn't in bed and according to him, it was that time he thought that she could be in the bathroom.
#Update 13: The magistrate, Desmond Nair asks the paralympian to maintain his composure. His family members reach out to help him and there is a break to the proceedings.
#Update 12: Pistorius narrates what happened on that night. He says he had spent the evening on February 13 at his home with his model girlfriend who had bought him a gift and ''they were deeply in love." Pistorius starts to sob uncontrollably after which the Magistrate stops reading of his statement.
#Update 11: Pistorius also refuses of relocating as he loves his country.
#Update 10: The Paralympian superstar said in a statement: "I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder, let alone premeditated murder, as I did not intend to kill my girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp."
#Update 9: The court will reconsider degrading the seriousness of the crime but the defence need to come up with strong arguments for that to happen.
#Update 8: Magistrate Desmond Nair rules that Pistorius case is Schedule Six. In other words, it is very unlikely that the defendant will be granted bail. Pistorius breaks down upon hearing the ruling. He has been charged with 'premeditated murder.'
#Update 7: Magistrate Nair says that the defendant (Pistorius) will face a possible life sentence if convicted of premeditated murder.
#Update 6: Ahead: Ruling on whether the case needs to be categorised as schedule six (non-bailable) or schedule five (bailable).
#Update 5: A 20 minute break. Defence lawyer Barry Roux has said that his client didn’t know who was behind the door. He argues that the prosecution hasn’t provided any evidence that proves it to be a premeditated murder.
#Update 4: State: Pistorius put on his prosthetics and walked about seven meters and shot Reeva. He then brought her downstairs. The "cold facts" state that it was a premeditated murder.
Pistorius has reportedly broken down.
#Update 3: They are currently arguing over the concept of premeditation. The prosecutor alleges that Pistorius intentionally murdered his girlfriend. Pistorius’ lawyer says it was not a murder.
#Update 2: Prosecutor allege that Pistorius fired a total of four shots at his girlfriend Reeva. She was in the bathroom at the time of shooting. Three of those hit her through the door of the bathroom.
#Update 1: Oscar Pistorius has arrived at the court. Pistorius arrived early at the courthouse for a bail hearing where his lawyers and police expect to reveal details of the alleged killing of his model girlfriend. Pistorius’ defence will be arguing for reducing the degree of the offence from schedule six to schedule five that’ll give him a better opportunity to be granted bail.
#Pistorius, who won two gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, has been held in a police cell in Pretoria since he was arrested and charged with Miss Steenkamp`s murder.
#Pistorius` former teacher has claimed it is hard to believe that the Paralympic star killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, as it is completely out of the character for him.
# MORE TROUBLE: Pistorius could lose his London 2012 Paralympic medals after sporting federations and anti-doping agencies claimed they were monitoring developments in South Africa following reports that banned steroids were found from Bladerunner`s home during the murder investigation of his girlfriend.
# A friend of both Pistorius and his slain girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was almost shot when the former ‘accidentally’ fired a gunshot in a busy restaurant in Johannesburg, according to a report.
#The mother of Oscar Pistorius’ murdered girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp is struggling to understand the reasons for her daughter’s death.
First Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 13:18