Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail over the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. "Blade Runner" Oscar, 26, was charged with the murder of model Reeva, 28, at his home last week but claims he shot her through a bathroom door thinking she was an intruder.
Magistrate Desmond Nair announced his decision after lengthy deliberations at Pretoria Magistrates' Court on Friday. There was a shout from the 26-year-old's family as Mr Nair revealed his findings. They then all gathered in a huddle to pray.
Oscar's lawyer, Barry Roux, has said the bail posted is around 250,000 rand (£18,455).Posecution had argued that bail should be denied because they believed the paralympian was a flight risk. But the magistrate said they had not made a case that the defendant would flee, nor that he had a violent character. He also criticized the testimony of the lead detective Hilton Botha - recently revealed to himself be facing attempted murder charges - saying he had not followed up important leads, and had changed his testimony.
Following the result, Oscar's family released a statement saying "Although we are obviously relieved that Oscar has been granted bail, this is still a very sad time for the family of Reeva and for us. "We are grateful that the Magistrate recognised the validity and strength of our application. As the family, we are convinced that Oscar's version of what happened on that terrible night will prove to be true. "The case's high profile has caused several celebrities to tweet their responses to the news.Piers Morgan commented "Interesting that so many people on Twitter are 100% convinced of #Pistorius guilt. I'm not sure either way, going by the evidence alone. "British rower Zac Purchase tweeted "#OscarPistorius bail granted... Not sure what to make of that..."
