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'Oscar is numb with shock and
grief' after death of his girlfriend, says uncle
as athlete waits for trial over her 'murder'
Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is 'numb with shock, as well as grief' after he allegedly shot his model girlfriend at his home in South Africa, the runner's uncle said today.
The Paralympian's family have spoke out today to 'strongly refute' that he murdered Reeva Steenkamp, after he was charged with her death.
Arnold Pistorius spoke about his nephew's arrest over the death of the law graduate, who was shot four times on the morning of Valentine's Day.
The family did not discuss the circumstances of the shooting, but said that his nephew and Steenkamp had become very close since they started dating in November.
'They had plans together and Oscar was happier in his private life than he had been for a long time,' the uncle said.
As Arnold Pistorius read his statement from his home in Pretoria, Pistorius' sister Aimee stood nearby, breaking down in tears at one point.
Her uncle stopped reading for a moment to put his arms around her. Pistorius remains very close with his uncle, a man he once lived with as a teenager.
'Words cannot adequately describe our feelings,' his uncle said.
'The lives of our entire family have been turned upside down forever by this unimaginable human tragedy and Reeva's family have suffered a terrible loss.
'As a family we are trying to be strong and supportive to Oscar as any close family would be in these dreadful circumstances.'
The statement also strongly criticised prosecutors seeking to upgrade the charge against Pistorius to one of premeditated murder, which carries a sentence of life in prison.
'After consulting with legal representatives, we deeply regret the allegation of premeditated murder,' Arnold Pistorius said.
'We have no doubt there is no substance to the allegation and that the state's own case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder.'
The athlete's arrest in the killing of 29-year-old Steenkamp has shocked South Africa, where Pistorius was a national hero dubbed the Blade Runner for his high-tech prosthetics and revered for overcoming his disability to compete in the London Games.
The family's statement came after there were claims that the athlete 'carried his dying girlfriend downstairs and tried to resuscitate her as he desperately attempted to save her life'.
Pistorius reportedly cradled Miss Steenkamp, who he allegedly shot four times, as he tried to stop her dying, performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on her.
But paramedics were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sources told Beeld, the Afrikaans language newspaper, that security guards heard the shots and rushed to the house, where they saw the Paralympic gold medalist running down the stairs with the law graduate in his arms.
The athlete is said to be on suicide watch due to fears the blade runner might take his own life over charges for the ‘pre-planned’ murder of his model girlfriend, it emerged last night.
Pitorius, who wept in the dock yesterday after being charged with shooting dead law graduate Reeva Steenkamp, 29, on Valentine's Day, is being held at Brooklyn Police Station prison in Pretoria.
A source said: 'Oscar is innocent but he feels as though he has descended into hell. He is absolutely devastated and struggling to deal with his emotions.
The source told The Sun: 'He's been given a cell to himself at the police station but there are criminals in cells around him and he doesn't belong there. There are police concerns over his mental state.'
At his hearing earlier yesterday Pistorius remained silent during the 40 minute hearing but his family and management issued a joint statement insisting: ‘The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest possible terms.’
It was reported yesterday that the model had been hit four times by bullets fired through the door of a bathroom at the luxury complex on the outskirts of Pretoria where Pistorius, a keen marksman, kept a pistol and machine gun.
Miss Steenkamp, who had only been going out with the Paralympic champion since November, is said to have been hit in the head, chest, pelvis and hand.
The Afrikaans-language Beeld newspaper said: ‘The security guards found Pistorius by Steenkamp’s body in the bathroom,’ and quoted a neighbour as saying: ‘The door had bullet holes right through it.’
A 9mm pistol said to have been owned by the sporting superstar was seen in a plastic exhibits bag being carried by police officers investigating the killing which has shocked the world.
There were gasps from some of the 100 people crowded into Courtroom C of the Magistrates Court as Pistorius stood with head bowed in front of Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair to the hear the murder charge read out, then started weeping, covering his face with his hands.
‘Take it easy,’ Mr Nair told him. ‘Come take a seat.’
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the Pretoria court they would argue the shooting of Miss Steenkamp, a former TV presenter, in the early hours of Thursday was premeditated.
They will tell the court that neighbours heard screaming and shouting from the mansion on the high security Silver Lakes Estate - there had been no robberies there for the past five years - followed by a shot.
Mention of the word ‘pre-meditated’ caused Pistorius to slump forward and he could be seen to be breathing heavily through his hands.
Lawyers for Pistorius, who in London last year became the first athlete to compete at both an Olympic and Paralympic Games, are said to be preparing to argue the shooting was a tragic accident.
If found guilty of premeditated murder, the man seen worldwide as an inspiration and in his homeland as a sporting icon faces an automatic life sentence. He would not be eligible to be considered for parole until he is aged 51.
Police have dismissed initial claims that the multi-millionaire athlete had mistakenly shot his girlfriend believing she was an intruder.
Pistorius, who was dressed in a grey suit and blue tie, had been expected to apply for bail, but this has been postponed until Tuesday after the defence and prosecution agreed to allow more time for this to be heard.
He will be held in custody at Brooklyn Prison in Pretoria, next door to the firearms registration centre, until then.
He said nothing during the 40-minute hearing. His father, Henke, sister Aimee and brother, Carl, sat directly behind him in the packed court-room, occasionally leaning forward to give him a supportive pat on the shoulder.
As the double-amputee athlete began to weep, Carl Pistorius lent forward and laid a hand on his brother, squeezing him slightly.
His family later issued a staunch denial of the allegation.
They said: ‘Firstly, and most importantly, all our thoughts today must be with the family and friends of Reeva Steenkamp.
‘Oscar Pistorius has made history as an Olympic and Paralympic sportsman and has been an inspiration to others the world over.
‘He has made it very clear that he would like to send his deepest sympathies to the family of Reeva.
‘He would also like to express his thanks through us for all the messages of support he has received - but as stated our thoughts and prayers today should be for Reeva and her family, regardless of the circumstances of this terrible, terrible tragedy.’
Police said an autopsy on the body of the victim was also taking place, but that its results would not be published.
Forensic experts yesterday continued to examine the scene of the shooting, sealing off the athlete’s house.
A policeman was seen carrying a handgun in a plastic forensic bag outside the Boschkop police station. It was believed to be the weapon used to shoot and kill Miss Steenkamp.
South African media focused on Miss Steenkamp’s killing, relegating a State of the Nation address by President Jacob Zuma in parliament to a distant second.
The coverage reflected shock and dismay at the fall of a sporting legend who commanded rare respect on all sides of the racial divides that persist in Nelson Mandela’s ‘Rainbow Nation’ 19 years after the end of apartheid.
‘Golden Boy Loses Shine’ ran a front page headline in the Sowetan, beside a picture of Pistorius, head bowed in a grey hooded tracksuit being led away from a police station.
A reality television programme which features Miss Steenkamp will be aired on Saturday as scheduled.
The Tropika Island of Treasure show sees Reeva Steenkamp compete alongside seven South African celebrities and seven other contestants to win a prize of one million rand prize (£72,500).
The programme's website issued a message saying: 'We are deeply saddened and extend our condolences to Reeva's family and friends.'
Executive producer Samantha Moon told the BBC: 'As we grieve today with Reeva's family and friends and struggle to make sense of this shocking tragedy, it has taken much deliberation to come to the decision to continue screening Tropika Island of Treasure 5 as planned.'
The show asks contestants to describe themselves in three words. Miss Steenkamp said: 'Brainy, blonde, bombshell'.
A tribute will be aired ahead of the reality show, on SABC1 at 4:30pm UK time.
Those who knew Pistorius, including a former girlfriend, also weighed in on social media.
Trish Taylor, mother of Pistorius' ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor, wrote on Facebook: 'I'm so glad Sammy is safe and out of the clutches of that man.'
But another ex-girlfriend, Jenna Edkins, defended Pistorius in messages Friday on Twitter.
'All I am saying is let him speak, let his side be heard without jumping to conclusions,' Edkins wrote.
She offered 'love and support' to the Pistorius family and wrote: 'I have dated Oscar on and off for 5 YEARS, NOT ONCE has he EVER lifted a finger to me or made me fear for my life.'
Meanwhile, police said today that an autopsy on the body of the victim was taking place. Lt Col Katlego Mogale said the results of the autopsy would not be published.
The court opened at just before 7am GMT today, as he arrived.
He was seen coming out of the police station where he had been held overnight covering his face with the jacket of his suit.
Henke and Carl Pistorius hugged each other in a show of solidarity before following the police escort that took the double amputee to the courthouse. Both looked tired and strained.
Pistorius was swept into the courthouse, hidden in the back of a police car, which had its windows blocked with paper to prevent anyone seeing the alleged murderer's face.
Pistorius had initially been expected to appear in court on Thursday, but the hearing was postponed to yesterday to allow forensics more time to study his mansion.
Police said an application for bail by Pistorius's lawyer Kenny Oldwage would be opposed when he appears in court.
Dressed in a grey hooded jacket, tracksuit trousers and trainers, Pistorius, 26, walked with head bowed from the Boschkop police station yesterday before being taken to Pretoria's Mamelodi Day Hospital in a police convoy.
Brig Beukes said the medical examination was 'standard procedure'.
Pistorius's spokesman, from the Fast Track agency in London, said he was 'assisting the police with their investigations' but no further comment could be made until matters became clearer.
Initial rumours suggested the shooting may have been a Valentine's Day surprise gone wrong.
The couple had only been going out since November.
Miss Steenkamp, a model and law graduate, tweeted the day before Valentine's Day: 'What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay.'
Pistorius appeared to have serious concerns about his safety and was said to sleep with a revolver by his side.
The paper, which carried the headline 'Death behind a door', quotes unnamed residents who say they had spoken to security guards at his gated complex.
'The security guards found Pistorius by Steenkamp's body in the bathroom,' the paper said on its website, citing a neighbour who claimed: 'The door had bullet holes right through it.'
It is not clear whether the door was locked at the time of the shooting.
Initial reports suggested the model may have been mistaken for a burglar, but Brigadier Denise Beukes later said police were 'very surprised' by that suggestion, adding: 'These allegations did not come from us.'
There had been previous incidents of a 'domestic nature' at the property on the exclusive, gated Silver Lakes Golf Estate in the South African capital Pretoria, she added.
A 9mm pistol was recovered and, according to unconfirmed reports, four shots were fired.
Police spokeswoman Lt Col Katlego Mogale said: 'Paramedics declared the woman dead on the scene and police proceeded with their investigation.
'The woman sustained wounds to her head and the upper body.'
 
A journalist from the Daily Mail interviewed him last summer and noted: 'This being South Africa, one baseball bat and one cricket bat lie behind Pistorius's bedroom door.
'A revolver is at his bedside. A machine gun by his window.'
He had to win a legal battle over his blades with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 2008 for the right to compete in able-bodied competition.
Pistorius's father said his son was 'sad' following the shooting.
Henke Pistorius told SABC radio news: 'I don't know the facts. If anyone makes a statement, it will have to be Oscar. He's sad at the moment.'
The couple were dubbed the Posh and Becks of South Africa.
On her Twitter biography, Miss Steenkamp described herself as a 'Model, Cover Girl, Tropika Island Of Treasure Celeb Contestant, Law Graduate, Child of God'.
Tropika island Of Treasure is a TV show she was due to appear on this weekend.
Miss Steenkamp's publicist Sarit Tomlinson paid tribute to her, saying she was 'the sweetest human being and an absolute angel on earth'.
She added: 'She was the kindest, most unbelievable girl.'
Clothes hang out of prison cells at the Pretoria Central Prison,
where Oscar Pistorius is allegedly being held before his court appearance today
She told Sky News: 'It's shocking. No one knows what happened. We're waiting for information.
'There are people we are waiting to speak to, to validate some of the stories.'
Asked about Miss Steenkamp's relationship with Pistorius, Ms Tomlinson said: 'They had been together for a couple of months and it's been a fabulous relationship - a healthy, fabulous relationship.'
Miss Steenkamp's friend Mashadi Motsogi broke down in tears.
The distressed model said she heard the news of Miss Steenkamp's death on Twitter.
'I have lost a friend,' she said, telling reporters that Miss Steenkamp's death in a secure complex did not make sense.
'Look, security here is safe. We moved to this area for security reasons. It does not make sense to me that my friend was shot, mistaken for an intruder.'
Source: dailymail.co.uk
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may it be blessed!'
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