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OSCAR PISTORIUS IS a “broken” man who should be hospitalised rather than jailed, a South African court heard today, as the Paralympic athlete awaits sentencing for the murder of his girlfriend three years ago.
The double-amputee killed Reeva Steenkamp, a model and law graduate, in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013, saying he mistook her for an intruder when he fired four times through the door of his bedroom toilet.
Red-eyed, tearful and sometimes resting his head in his hands, the 29-year-old “Blade Runner” attended the first day of his sentencing hearing at the High Court in Pretoria along with members of his family.
“He has developed a serious psychiatric condition which has become worse in the past two years,” psychologist Jonathan Scholtz, called by the defence, told the court.
“Further imprisonment would have a detrimental effect on him.”
Scholtz said that during recent interviews Pistorius had displayed signs of “post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder and depressive disorder”.
“Currently he is not able to testify (to the court). His condition is severe,” he said.
In March, Pistorius’s lawyers failed in their legal bid to reverse a Supreme Court of Appeal judgement that upgraded his original conviction from culpable homicide – the equivalent of manslaughter – to murder.
The original trial judge Thokozile Masipa is expected to pass a new sentence after hearing arguments from both prosecution and defence.
Scholtz added that Pistorius “has almost given up, his spirit seems broken” and he should be sent to hospital.
“(He is) a vulnerable, anxious man, extremely uncertain of himself without his prostheses.”
Pistorius faces a minimum 15-year jail term for murder, but his sentence could be reduced due to time already spent in prison and mitigating factors, including his disability.
Steenkamp’s parents were both in court today, and her father Barry may take the witness stand to ask the court to impose a lengthy punishment.
If he does, it will be the first time that one of Steenkamp’s parents has testified in the case.
TV interview criticised
Pistorius has shunned the media during years of intense coverage since Steenkamp’s killing, but his family have revealed that he has given his first interview, due to air on British broadcaster ITV later this month.
The interview drew a sharp attack from state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, who said it proved that Pistorius was capable of testifying.
“He would rather give his version to the TV than to court,” said Nel, who accused psychologist Scholtz of being biased.
Pistorius was released from jail last October to live under house arrest at his uncle’s mansion in Pretoria after serving one year of his five-year sentence for culpable homicide.
Since being convicted of murder, Pistorius has been on bail and allowed to leave his uncle’s house at set times, but not travel further than 20 kilometres (12 miles) without permission.
The hearing – held in the same courtroom as the original trial – was adjourned until tomorrow. It is scheduled to last one week.
Pistorius has always denied killing Steenkamp in a rage and, during his dramatic seven-month trial in 2014, sobbed in the dock as details of his lover’s death were examined in excruciating detail.
The year before he killed Steenkamp, Pistorius became the first double-amputee to race at Olympic level when he appeared at the London 2012 games.
He has since lost his glittering sports career, lucrative contracts and status as a global role model for the disabled.
“(Pistorius) is adamant that he never wants to touch or handle a firearm again,” said Scholtz today.
“He becomes traumatised when he hears the sound of gunfire, even when it is part of a film he is watching.”
Other exchanges today revealed that while in prison Pistorius caught an infection in his leg stumps after being forced to shower on a concrete floor.
About 20 Pistorius supporters rallied outside the court, saying he should be treated leniently.
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Put the heavy things at the back I said, not the front.
@Alan Byrne: locking pin for front gear appears to have been put in incorrectly.
Slow news day eh
They’ll probably hold an enquiry, but it seems plane enough.
Even planes are taking the knee now
Any word on the 4 dead pilots from British airways ??
@Larry Williams: one died from covid having spent the over 8 months in hospital. Looks like another was a biking accident. Not sure about the other 2, but it’d be great to stop making assumptions and wait until facts come out……
@Anthony Keenan: BA have also since confirmed that none of the 4 are linked and none relate to the vaccine
@Larry Williams: Two are certainly not linked. One was a bike accident, another was from complications having spent over a year in hospital in the States following an illness.
@Anthony Keenan: Take what they say with a pinch of salt. The BBC also tried to cover up Lisa Shaw’s death until her family went public. Now another reporter, Dom Nugent, is dead after “a short illness”. 11 weeks after the vaccine.
@Dave: yeah because dead after a short illness was never heard of before covid
@johnny onion eye: You keep pretending to yourself that all of these deaths of young, healthy people have absolutely nothing to do with these jabs if you want. They also said Lisa Shaw’s death was from a short illness also until her family spoke out.
@Larry Williams: bunch of w4nkers, I never mentioned anything about vaccine, but you jumped to conclusions, a$$ holes as always
@Larry Williams: Call us whatever names you like, but it’s looking like they were vaccine related. Someone mentioned the one that died from a bike accident as if it can’t be related. The autopsy shows he died from internal abdominal bleeding not consistent with the accident. Abdominal bleeding, like clots, is another much more common occurence than is being reported.
I see Ryan Air gave started to sneak those doggy Boeings across the Atlantic.
@Bala mc blaha: bow wow!
The McVities weren’t at rhe back.
Even planes are taking the knee now
@first_timer: this would be a second timer post
The all new 787 Max. Aka 737-8!
have your say