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| Oscar Pistorius stands during court proceedings at Pretoria magistrates court accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters |
Oscar Pistorius will stand trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in March next year, a court in Pretoria, South Africa, has ruled.
Sitting in the dock, the athlete dubbed the "Blade Runner" retained his composure as an official crossed the courtroom and handed him a few pages summarising the case against him.
"Some of the state witnesses heard a woman scream, followed by moments of silence, then heard gunshots and then more screaming," reads the state's indictment.
Pistorius admits shooting dead his girlfriend at his luxury home in Pretoria earlier this year but claims he thought she was an intruder and he was acting in self-defence. The case stunned South Africa and fans around the world who regarded the Paralympian as a sporting hero.
Watching from the court's public gallery on Monday were his brother Carl and sister Aimee, who held his hands in silent prayer before the 10-minute hearing, and Gina and Kim Myers, close friends of Steenkamp who but for the tragedy would have spent the day celebrating her 30th birthday.
"The deceased, a 29-year-old woman, was shot and killed in the home of the accused just after 3.00am on 14 February 2013," states the indictment against the athlete. "The deceased had locked herself into a toilet cubicle, situated adjacent to the main bedroom. The accused armed himself with his 9mm pistol and through the locked door, fired four shots at the deceased. The deceased was wounded and died on the scene.
"The cause of death is given in the post-mortem report as 'multiple gunshot wounds'."
Witnesses heard a woman scream, followed by silence, gunshots and more screaming, the indictment continues. "The accused said to witnesses on the scene that he thought she was an intruder. Even then, the accused shot with the direct intention to kill a person. An error in persona will not affect the intention to kill a human being."
The summary does not address allegations made during Pistorius's bail hearing including the claim that the double amputee got out of bed, put on his prosthetic legs and carried out a "premeditated" murder. A source close to the defence backed weekend media reports that forensic tests show Pistorius was moving on his stumps at the time of the shooting.
He is also accused of unlawfully possessing 38 x 38 rounds of ammunition without being the holder of a permit or licence for a firearm capable of discharging it. Prosecutors submitted a list of 107 witnesses including Gina and Kim Myers and their mother Desi, several former girlfriends and a professional boxer.
Dressed in a dark suit and dark tie, Pistorius, 26, appeared composed as he entered Pretoria magistrates court and faced a wall of furiously clicking cameras. He spent almost half an hour in prayer with his siblings, head bowed and eyes closed as Aimee spoke in a low voice. Occasionally his upper lip trembled and he lost the battle with his emotions, taking a deep breath, clenching his teeth or wiping away tears. At one point he broke away to confer with his lawyer.
Pistorius's hand shook slightly when he received the indictment. Magistrate Desmond Nair asked Pistorius if he would arrange his own defence. Pistorius stood up and said quietly into the microphone: "That is correct, your honour." Unable to hear, Nair asked him to speak up.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said the dates of 3-20 March had been mutually agreed for the trial. The case was sent to the high court in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, where a judge will preside since the country does not have trial by jury.
Nair told Pistorius he would be expected to appear at 9am and warned that a warrant of arrest would be issued if he failed to do so. He granted Pistorius bail on the same conditions he has been on since a hearing earlier this year.
The mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison, meaning if Pistorius is found guilty he will be older than 50 when he leaves prison. There is no death penalty.
Pistorius looked almost relieved when the hearing was over, smiling at his family and murmuring a few words to broadcast journalists before leaving court.
Desi, Gina and Kim Myers embraced and appeared emotional outside the courtroom as Ian Levitt, a lawyer, read a statement about Steenkamp on their family's behalf.
"Since that devastating Thursday morning on 14 February not a day has gone by when anyone who ever came into contact with Reeva Steenkamp hasn't thought about her," it said. "Now more than ever, her memory lives on for her friends who cannot forget the lasting effect she had on everyone she met."
It added: "The 19th of August 2013 would have been Reeva's 30th birthday, a day that should have been a celebration of her life. Instead, it will now mark a court appearance relating to her untimely passing six months ago. As the world's attention will once again turn to the courthouse, there are those who met, knew and loved Reeva that will focus their attention on their hearts and memories, allowing her life, strength of character and passion to live on through them."
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