After four days of hearings, Oscar Pistorius was granted bail in the case accusing him of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Feb. 14.
Oscar Pistorius granted bail in murder case
The double-amputee Olympic sprinter accused of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend on Feb. 14 was granted bail on Friday.
Streeter Lecka
Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair, who granted the bail, said issues stemming from the police investigation and the lack of risk Pistorius poses to flee the country led him to the “conclusion that the accused made a case to be granted bail.” Bail was set at 1 million rand, or $112,000. Pistorius must comply with several conditions until his case resumes on June 4 (via the New York Times):
Mr. Pistorius was told to relinquish firearms and passports, avoid his home and make no contact with witnesses. He was also told that he could not leave the Pretoria area without official permission and could not use drugs or alcohol while the trial is pending.
Over the two hours it took for Nair to read his decision, he noted that evidence gathered under chief investigating officer Hilton Botha, who was pulled from the case after attempted murder charges against him were reinstated, is “tarnished.”
Despite the prosecution’s missteps thus far, though, Nair also made clear that Pistorius’ defense team didn’t do a whole lot to suggest that their allegations of premeditated murder are “weak.”
Pistorius claims to have acted out of the fear that an intruder was inside his home on Feb. 14, firing shots through a locked bathroom door, and that he did not realize he had killed Steenkamp accidentally until it was too late. The prosecution, citing possible holes in Pistorius’ story, believes the murder was premeditated and could have stemmed from an argument earlier that night.
In South Africa, the case will be presented before a judge.
More from SB Nation:
See More:
