Pistorius murder trial postponed until August

The trial of South African athletics star Oscar Pistorius for the alleged murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp has been postponed until August 19th at a brief hearing at a Pretoria court this morning.

Today was his first formal court appearance since his release on bail in February after the killing on Valentine’s Day of Ms Steenkamp.

Pistorius (26), had to make his way through a scrum of photographers and reporters as he walked through the main entrance of the Pretoria Magistrates Court shortly before 8am Irish time. Clean-shaven Pistorius, dressed in a dark suit and tie, was calm and composed throughout the hearing.

He has admitted to shooting Ms Steenkamp (29), four times through a locked bathroom door on February 14th at his home in an affluent Pretoria community.

The magistrate, Daniel Thulare, warned this morning against a “trial by media” of the athlete, adding he was “worried” by aspects of reporting about the killing after prosecutor Andrea Johnson asked for a postponement of the hearing to allow for further investigation of the case.

Pistorius spoke only to confirm that he had understood after the magistrate confirmed the hearing would be postponed until August 19th and the same bail conditions would apply.

’Tragic mistake’

In pre-trial testimony, his lawyers had told the court the shooting was a tragic mistake and Pistorius was acting in self-defence against what he thought was an intruder.

Prosecutors accuse him of premeditated murder for firing into the door, hitting Ms Steenkamp in the head, hip and arm.

Pistorius, a double amputee nicknamed “Blade Runner” for the prosthetics he uses in competition, was one of the stars of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London.

His arrest and subsequent murder charge shocked millions around the world as he was seen as a symbol of triumph over adversity.

In South Africa, he was a hero for both blacks and whites, transcending the racial divides that persist 19 years after the end of apartheid.

Pistorius has mostly kept out of the public eye since he secured bail. Media reported that in April he partied at a nightclub in a Johannesburg suburb after his bail conditions were relaxed the previous month.

The Pistorius camp said the matter was blown out of proportion and he went out for a quiet dinner with friends after spending weeks in the house with family.

South Africa does not have trial by jury, so pre-trial media coverage is seldom deemed to be prejudicial.

Reuters/PA