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Updated: 11.10am
THE PARALYMPIC GOLD medallist and Olympic competitor Oscar Pistorius has been charged with murder after shooting dead his girlfriend in the early hours of this morning.
Initial reports from various South African news outlets suggested the 26-year-old, who became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics at London 2012, shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steencamp at his home in Silver Lakes, Pretoria, after mistaking her for an intruder.
However, authorities have told media personnel they have no idea where the report about the shooting being an accident after a case of mistaken identity came from.
Stating the reports that the victim was mistaken for an intruder “did not come from us” police spokeswoman Denise Beukes said “there’s previously been incidents of allegations of domestic disputes at the home of the accused.”
“The state will be opposing bail,” she added. Investigations, including the questioning of possible witnesses, continue.
Earlier, police spokeswoman Sarah Mcira confirmed that the 26-year-old star has been charged and will appear in court this afternoon, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Beeld says the incident took place at about 4am local time and that Pistorius was still at the scene when police came to question him. He was said to be in shock.
“I haven’t seen him, he is with the police and the matter is in the hands of the authorities,” said Henke Pistorius, the athlete’s father. “Obviously we are shocked.”
eNews Channel Africa said that a 9mm pistol was found at the scene and that the suspect has been taken for forensic tests, which will include blood-alcohol exams, scans for physical injuries and finger-nail DNA checks.
A police vehicle enters the housing estate where Olympian Oscar Pistorius lives, in Pretoria, South Africa. (AP/Press Association Images)
The athlete known as the “Blade Runner” made history in 2012 when he became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics.
He won gold in the 4x400m relay at the Paralympic Games.
He had both legs amputated below the knee before he was aged one, because of a congenital condition, and runs on carbon fibre blades.
Last year Time Magazine named him as one of the world’s 100 most influential people.
The victim, Reeva Steencamp, described herself on Twitter as a “SA Model, Cover Girl, Tropika Island of Treasure Celeb Contestant, Law Graduate and Child of God”.
(Image: Twitter)
Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp at Tashas All White Party at Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, South Africa last month. (Image: Elite/EMPICS Entertainment)
At the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa in November. (Elite/EMPICS Entertainment)
- additional reporting from AFP and Sinéad O’Carroll
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I made this point the other day when we were talking about Irish Rail, how much longer are we going to have to subsidise these costly and inefficient state transport providers?
Has anyone travelled by Bus Eireann on a lengthy journey recently?
Its absolute torture.
I don’t use BE any more, 3 hours to Wexford town from Dublin is an absolute joke! Expensive, dirty, slow and the rudest drivers iv ever had the ‘pleasure’ of encountering!
Martian you should travel with Wexford bus company , free wifi on all their 4 star air-conditioned buses, and polite drivers bar 1 dude
I do now Peter. Cheaper and gets me there faster!
Time to deregulate and privatise transport.
Add health care and education to that list and we can form a coalition
You want to privatise the provision of education? Seriously?
Well yeah or decentralise it heavily letting parents and teachers desire the curriculum and exams.. No taxes on any incomes, simply a consumption tax
Peter, we’re majorly off topic but there are some massive flaws in your idea, IMO
For a start the whole of society is the ultimate consumer of education and also you need an over all consistency in levels and content to make allow employers to judge between the outputs.
If the journal want to bring up the topic of general privatisation re Merkel’s “suggestions” we could probably discuss further.
Well I’m a libertarian at heart, and yeah I’d like that !
Agreed, but those from ballygobackwards will certainly find themselves without public transport. Thats the difference between public owned and private, needs of people vs profit margins. I don’t think we can justify owning and running loss making transport companies, when the country is going down the pan.
Well school transport alone is subsidized for 180 million a year and no austerity imposed on bus eireann at all and they a upping prices as well as cutting routes and prices…..law onto themselves.
Change regulation for bigger advertising
As far as I can see the busman gets €500-600 a week. Most of the company losses are on the advertising side of the business. There should be more live timetable terminals to increase consumer satisfaction. Maybe introduce advertising under the live times!
have your say