Oscar Pistorius granted bail for £450 and confirms appeal


December 8, 2015

Oscar Pistorius will appeal against his murder conviction at the Constitutional Court, his lawyer confirmed at his bail hearing on Tuesday. In a brief ruling, the South African Olympian was granted bail while he awaits sentencing for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day in 2013. That hearing will take place on 18 April.Bail was set at just 10,000 rand - £450 / $700 – which has to be paid in full by Friday 11 December, after the defence informed the court that Oscar had no money left.

© Photo: Getty Images

Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail while he awaits sentencing for murdering Reeva Steenkamp in 2013

Judge Aubrey Ledwaba also said it would not be in the interests of justice to restrict Oscar to house arrest at his uncle's home in Pretoria for 24 hours a day – as the state had requested. He will be able to continue to leave the house between 7am and midday every day, but will only be able to move within a 20km (12 mile) radius. He will also be electronically tagged and was ordered to hand over his passport.Oscar appeared in court to apply for bail after judges changed his manslaughter conviction to murder last week.

© Photo: Getty Images

Oscar and girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, pictured together in January 2013, shortly before her death

South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein accepted the prosecution's arguments and ruled that the original court did not correctly apply the concept of 'dolus eventualis' – whether Oscar knew that a death would be the likely cause of his actions.The 29-year-old athlete is currently under house arrest at his uncle's home after spending one year of his original five year sentence in jail. He left prison on 19 October 2015 as he was eligible for release under "correctional supervision".

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