17.07 15th Feb Updates End
16.20 On the day of her death, Reeva Steenkamp was due to give a speech to Sandown High School in which she revealed she had been in an abusive relationship while at university. The Evening Standard has the full text, but here is an excerpt from her notes:
4. I broke my back towards the end of varsity. Learnt mobility again and made a massive life decision with regards to my career. I will elaborate on this part of my journey.
16.20 On the day of her death, Reeva Steenkamp was due to give a speech to Sandown High School in which she revealed she had been in an abusive relationship while at university. The Evening Standard has the full text, but here is an excerpt from her notes:
4. I broke my back towards the end of varsity. Learnt mobility again and made a massive life decision with regards to my career. I will elaborate on this part of my journey.
5. I was in an abusive relationship at the same time (his mother used to abuse him) and all together these factors encouraged my move to Jozi.
[...]
7. I lost a lot of self worth during my last year in PE before I moved to Jozi and it took some serious soul searching to remind myself of my value in this world.
16.12 Stuart Higgins, the former editor of the Sun, has flown out to South Africa to handle the media storm around Pistorius, the Guardian reveals.
16.00 And two tweets from a mixed-martial-arts fighter who is a close friend of Pistorius:
Pistorius lives in the house with a friend from high school, an engineer who moonlights as a mixed-martial-arts fighter.
14.58 Martyn Rooney, the Great Britain Olympic 400m star, has told The Sun that he had dinner with Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp last Saturday. He said he was "in bits" at the news of her death and that his thoughts and prayers "go out to the families and friends of those involved". Pistorius tweeted on Sunday that he had watched a movie, but that his house was "way too quiet without @martynrooney! homealoneblues".
14.36 From our Southern Africa Correspondent Aislinn Laing: "Police have confirmed that Mr Pistorius was visited by a psychologist yesterday, both for evidence-gathering and to assess his mental state. He is being held at Brooklyn police station near Pretoria but not under any special security measures. His main reason for remaining there over the weekend rather than being remanded in prison is his celebrity status".
14.09 The producers of Tropika Island of Treasure, the reality television show starring Reeva Steenkamp, have said the series will air this weekend as planned. The show, in which teams of celebrities and members of the public compete for a grand prize was pre-recorded in Jamaica.
"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," said Samantha Moon, the executive producer, in a statement. "This week's episode will be dedicated to Reeva's memory."
13.45 Whether or not Oscar Pistorius is granted bail hinges on the category of the crime he is charged with. Under South Africa's Criminal Procedure Act, a section five crime, or "serious offence" would require Pistorius to satisfy the court that the interests of justice permit the release. If Reeva Steenkamp's death is judged a section six crime, however, it would require "exceptional circumstances" for bail to be granted.
13.26 Beeld, the South African newspaper that broke the news of the shooting, now claims that Oscar Pistorius' father had an accident involving a gun and a glamorous woman in the mid-1970s.
As his girlfriend at the time, Anneline Kriel, a former Miss World, looked on, Henke Pistorius allegedly shot himself in the groin while cleaning his pistol.
The newspaper's source, an unnamed university friend, says Mr Pistorius senior was only lightly injured. However, the incident did raise questions: "Who puts their gun between their legs as they clean it?" he asked.
13.08 Here is the text of a statement from Oscar Pistorius' agents in the UK, Fast Track:
Firstly, and most importantly, all our thoughts today must be with the family and friends of Reeva Steenkamp.
Oscar Pistorius has appeared in court here in Pretoria this morning formally charged with the murder of Reeva Steenkamp. The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms.
These are now live and active legal proceedings which must be allowed to take their course through the process of proper investigation by the police, evidence-gathering and through the local South African judicial system.
In a short hearing lawyers representing the athlete asked for a postponement for a bail application until Tuesday next week to allow time for their own investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy, which was agreed by the Magistrate, who also agreed that Pistorius would be held in custody at a local police station.
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 today 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.
12.55 Oscar Pistorius disputes his murder charge "in the strongest possible terms," his agent has said in a statement.
Oscar Pistorius's father Henke (EPA)
12.12 Pistorius was described last year in a profile by Michael Sokolove for the New York Times Magazine as "a great deal of fun" and "more than a little crazy".
Today's New York Times notes:
The night before the interview with Sokolove, Pistorius said that his security alarm had sounded and that he grabbed a gun to check on a possible intruder. South Africa is one of the world’s most violent countries. This time, there was nothing. Pistorius then took Sokolove to a shooting range with a 9-millimeter handgun, saying he went there “just sometimes when I can’t sleep.”
On Nov. 28, 2011, Pistorius bragged on his Twitter account about his accuracy with a weapon: “Had a 96% headshot over 300m from 50shots! Bam!”
Oscar Pistorius looks at his father Henke Pistorius as he leaves the court room after his hearing (AFP/Getty Images)
12.02 Pistorius' father Henke, his older brother Carl and his younger sister Aimee were in court to support him. His brother laid his hand on his should to comfort him as he began to sob. Pistorius' mother, Sheila, died when he was 15.
14.09 The producers of Tropika Island of Treasure, the reality television show starring Reeva Steenkamp, have said the series will air this weekend as planned. The show, in which teams of celebrities and members of the public compete for a grand prize was pre-recorded in Jamaica.
"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," said Samantha Moon, the executive producer, in a statement. "This week's episode will be dedicated to Reeva's memory."
13.45 Whether or not Oscar Pistorius is granted bail hinges on the category of the crime he is charged with. Under South Africa's Criminal Procedure Act, a section five crime, or "serious offence" would require Pistorius to satisfy the court that the interests of justice permit the release. If Reeva Steenkamp's death is judged a section six crime, however, it would require "exceptional circumstances" for bail to be granted.
13.26 Beeld, the South African newspaper that broke the news of the shooting, now claims that Oscar Pistorius' father had an accident involving a gun and a glamorous woman in the mid-1970s.
As his girlfriend at the time, Anneline Kriel, a former Miss World, looked on, Henke Pistorius allegedly shot himself in the groin while cleaning his pistol.
The newspaper's source, an unnamed university friend, says Mr Pistorius senior was only lightly injured. However, the incident did raise questions: "Who puts their gun between their legs as they clean it?" he asked.
13.08 Here is the text of a statement from Oscar Pistorius' agents in the UK, Fast Track:
Firstly, and most importantly, all our thoughts today must be with the family and friends of Reeva Steenkamp.
Oscar Pistorius has appeared in court here in Pretoria this morning formally charged with the murder of Reeva Steenkamp. The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms.
These are now live and active legal proceedings which must be allowed to take their course through the process of proper investigation by the police, evidence-gathering and through the local South African judicial system.
In a short hearing lawyers representing the athlete asked for a postponement for a bail application until Tuesday next week to allow time for their own investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy, which was agreed by the Magistrate, who also agreed that Pistorius would be held in custody at a local police station.
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 today 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.
12.55 Oscar Pistorius disputes his murder charge "in the strongest possible terms," his agent has said in a statement.
12.12 Pistorius was described last year in a profile by Michael Sokolove for the New York Times Magazine as "a great deal of fun" and "more than a little crazy".
Today's New York Times notes:
The night before the interview with Sokolove, Pistorius said that his security alarm had sounded and that he grabbed a gun to check on a possible intruder. South Africa is one of the world’s most violent countries. This time, there was nothing. Pistorius then took Sokolove to a shooting range with a 9-millimeter handgun, saying he went there “just sometimes when I can’t sleep.”
On Nov. 28, 2011, Pistorius bragged on his Twitter account about his accuracy with a weapon: “Had a 96% headshot over 300m from 50shots! Bam!”
12.02 Pistorius' father Henke, his older brother Carl and his younger sister Aimee were in court to support him. His brother laid his hand on his should to comfort him as he began to sob. Pistorius' mother, Sheila, died when he was 15.
11.55 A bit of background on the victim of the shooting, Reeva Steenkamp. She graduated in law from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. She was a spokesmodel for Avon cosmetics in South Africa. She was first spotted with Oscar Pistorius last November, initially telling media that they were just friends. Her publicist Sarit Tomlinson told Sky News that Steenkamp and Pistorius had been dating for a couple of months. She described herself as "SA Model, Cover Girl, Tropika Island of Treasure Celeb Contestant, Law Graduate, Child of God" on her Twitter profile. She was to have appeared on South African reality show Tropika Island of Treasure this Saturday; on a profile for the series she described herself as a "brainy, blonde bombshell."
11.50 Piers Morgan has broken his silence on the tragedy, speculating as to what it might mean for South African sport.
11.30 As with any sporting megastar, sponsors have serious cash tied up in the image of Oscar Pistrorius. BT have released a statement saying: "Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy. Given the ongoing legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."
Nike have said: "We're not making any comment at this stage other than to say that the incident is a police matter and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."
An advert that featured on Pistorius' official website reading 'I am the bullet in the chamber' was removed yesterday afternoon." More on that here.
11.20 On the subject of front pages, John Prescott MP is among those unhappy that the UK's own The Sun chose to lead its page one coverage of the story with a large picture of Reeva Steenkamp in a bikini.
10.41 The Pretoria magistrate Desmond Nair has allowed Pistorius to remain at Brooklyn police station rather than in prison until his bail hearing next Tuesday. An advocate told the Guardian's David Smith the decision was made due to Pistorius's fame rather than his disability. "There are a lot of disabled people in prison", the advocate said.
10.32 If convicted of premeditated murder, which the prosecution intends to argue, Pistorius could be sentenced to life in prison.
10.19 The judge has agreed to a request from Pistorius's defence to postpone his bail hearing until next Tuesday. The athlete will be remanded in custody until then.
Oscar Pistorius breaks down in court as he hears that the prosecution will argue he committed premediated murder. (AP)
10.10 Dressed in a dark suit, the 26-year-old Olympic and Paralympic superstar stood with head bowed in front of magistrate Desmond Nair to the hear the charge of one count of murder read out.
He then started sobbing, covering his face with his hands.
"Take it easy. Come take a seat," Nair told him.
10.02 Prosecutors have told the court they will argue Pistorius committed 'premeditated murder' when he shot Steenkamp, reportedly through the bathroom door of his Pretoria home.
09.35 Pistorius breaks down in court after being charged with murder, Reuters reports.
09.33 A picture has emerged, apparently showing a policeman holding the murder weapon in an evidence bag:
10.10 Dressed in a dark suit, the 26-year-old Olympic and Paralympic superstar stood with head bowed in front of magistrate Desmond Nair to the hear the charge of one count of murder read out.
He then started sobbing, covering his face with his hands.
"Take it easy. Come take a seat," Nair told him.
10.02 Prosecutors have told the court they will argue Pistorius committed 'premeditated murder' when he shot Steenkamp, reportedly through the bathroom door of his Pretoria home.
09.35 Pistorius breaks down in court after being charged with murder, Reuters reports.
09.33 A picture has emerged, apparently showing a policeman holding the murder weapon in an evidence bag:
09.11 Beeld newspaper, citing unnamed residents who had spoken to security guards, said covergirl Reeva Steenkamp was shot four times through a bathroom door.
The report has not been confirmed by police.
The Afrikaans paper on Thursday broke the story of Pistorius being arrested for allegedly shooting his model girlfriend, but its early accounts that the star sprinter had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder have been rubbished by police.
08.37 The arrest of the 26-year-old Olympic and Paralympic track star stunned a nation that reveres him as a hero who triumphed over adversity to compete with able-bodied athletes at the highest levels of sport.
Oscar Pistorius is the Blade Runner who united disabled and able-bodied sport. He bestrode the Olympic and Paralympic Games of London 2012 like an advert for the human spirit.
But his cartoon hero status will be inadmissible when he appears in court in Pretoria on Friday charged with murdering his 30-year-old girlfriend.
The death of Reeva Steenkamp from gunshot wounds at Pistorius’s home in a gated community in South Africa was a tragedy with only one true victim: the law graduate, entrepreneur, television presenter and model who died at the hands of perhaps the most famous runner after Usain Bolt, whether accidentally or by design.
08.20 South African media report that the Paralympic and Olympic track star shot his girlfriend four times through a bathroom door at his Pretoria home, Reuters states. More on this as it breaks.
08.12 Two police vehicles arrived at the Pretoria Magistrates' Court, with the amputee athlete sitting in the back of one, his head covered in a jacket. He was expected to apply for bail during the hearing but police have said they would oppose it. 
14. February 2013 -
20.08 Updates End
19.20 Athletes have been reacting to the news of Steenkamp's death with grief and horror since the news broke. Now two of the sporting bodies most closely affiliated with Pistorius have made statements on their websites:
From the IPC:
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will not be passing any comment on the case at this time. This is a police matter, with a formal investigation currently underway. Therefore it would be inappropriate for the IPC to comment on this incident until the official police process has concluded.The IPC would like to offer its deepest sympathy and condolences to all families involved in this case.
And, from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), the country's main sporting body:
SASCOC, like the rest of the public, knows no more than what is in the public domain... It would be irresponsible and inappropriate to comment on the alleged incident until the official investigative process has been completed.18.54 TMZ are claiming that Pistorius's family have delivered a care package to make his night in jail more comfortable, including some blankets and a home-cooked meal.
18.04 He's been pictured entering the holding cells at the Boschkop police station, where he may be spending the night before appearing in court tomorrow.
18.00 Family members have been photographed leaving the hospital where Pistorius underwent tests today.
17.50 Pistorius's lawyer, Kenny Oldwage, says the runner is "obviously emotional, but fine"
16.40 Police crime scene tape marks off Pistorius's home in Pretoria, where Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead.
15.51 At 30, Reeva Steenkamp was a "law graduate, entrepreneur, television presenter and model in the first flush of romance with South Africa’s most famous sportsman", writes my colleague Malcolm Moore in a profile of Pistorius's girlfriend and victim.
She first stepped out in public with Oscar Pistorius, the Paralympic sprinter four years her junior, last November at the annual South Africa Sports Awards. At the time, she claimed they were “just friends”.
After her death in the early hours of St Valentine’s Day, her publicist, Sarit Tomlinson, said the couple had been together for “a couple of months” in a “healthy, fabulous relationship”.
15.06 The relationship between Pistorious and Steenkamp seemed to be harmonious, her agent Sarit Tomlinson told Sky News earlier. Tomlinson said the couple "had only been together a couple of months" and had a "really healthy, fabulous relationship".
"Nobody actually knows what happened", she added.
Steenkamp was quoted last weekend in the Sunday Independent saying Pistorius had "impeccable" taste and adding: "His gifts are always thoughtful." She was also tweeting yesterday about her excitement over Valentine's Day.
"Nothing like getting home to hear the washing machine on and thinking its an intruder to go into full combat recon mode into the pantry! waa"
The athlete also gave details last year of his home firearms in interviews with both the New York Times and the Daily Mail, revealing that he slept alongside a 9mm handgun and kept a 'machine gun' by his window, and went to gun ranges "when he couldn't sleep".
13.29 Seruscka Naidoo, a spokeswoman for Nike South Africa, just told me that the company was "sorry to have heard about the tragic events and offers condolences to all of the families involved" but said the sports brand would not comment on its commercial relationship with the athlete at this stage.
13.14 Sky News has apparently spoken to Pistorius's father Henke, who says his son is "a bit emotional, but he is fine".
12.56 A BT spokesman has just told me that the company is "awaiting the outcome of the South African police investigation" before making a decision over its commercial relationship with Pistorius, despite the athlete being charged with murder. I'm expecting a full statement soon.
That full statement is: "We are shocked by this terrible, tragic news. We await the outcome of the South African police investigation."
Another of Pistorius's major sponsors, Nike, has been approached for comment, but not responded yet. Earlier today a Nike banner ad featuring pictures of Pistorius and the slogan "I am the bullet in the chamber" was removed from the athlete's website (see below at 11.30am).
12.41 Pistorius's court appearance has been delayed until Friday. He will appear at Pretoria Magistrates' Court at 9am local time (7am GMT).
12.34 South African TV channel M-Net Movies has yet to remove a new campaign video for its Oscars coverage featuring Pistorius. Both the ad and a behind-the scenes video are still available on Youtube, along with promotional material on the channel's website. Not for much longer presumably. More from Huffington Post here.
Update: M-Net parent company DSTV has now said it is pulling the advertising campaign.
12.10 There seems to be a certain amount of confusion in Pretoria over where and when Pistorius will appear in court. My colleagueAislinn Laing reports that he will not be appearing, as expected, at 2pm (12pm GMT) at Pretoria Central Courts.
Pretoria Central magistrate says Pretorius case won't be heard before him today, but possibly in city centre court. Media pack moves on.
12.02 Full statement in now from Reeva Steenkamp's PR agency confirming she was the victim of this morning's shooting. South African police are yet to formally identify the victim.
We can confirm that Reeva Steenkamp has passed away. We are in communication with people on the scene, please wait for official statements, as there is too much speculation at this moment in time. We will provide further information as soon as we are able to provide accurate information as to what transpired. Our thoughts and prayers go to the Steenkamp family, who have asked to have their privacy respected during this difficult time, everyone is simply devastated. She was the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth and will be sorely missed.
The agency also issued a few photographs that it said Steenkamp was fond of.
(Ice Model Management)
11.54 Erin Conway Smith is at Pretoria Central Prison, where Pistorius was due to appear at 2pm local time . It looks likely that the appearance will be delayed though, possibly until 4pm.
11.44 Steenkamp's modelling agency, Ice Model Management, has issued a statement saying staff are "shocked and devastated" by the news.
Everyone at Ice Model Management and Ice Genetics is absolutely shocked & devastated by the news!
Reeva has been with the Ice family for some seven years now and she was a wonderful, beautiful, & caring soul & will be missed immensely.
It is indeed a very sad day for all those that loved & treasured her, our hearts are broken.
Our thoughts, prayers & condolences are with her family and friends.
11.39 We now have a video of the police press conference from earlier, in which a spokeswoman dismisses early reports that Pistorius mistook Steenkamp for a burglar and reveals that officers had been called to the athlete's address before to deal with "allegations of a domestic nature".
Police have still not formally identified Steenkamp as the victim, but have confirmed that a 30-year-old woman was shot four times in the head and chest and said they will oppose bail for Pistorius.
11.30 Oscar Pistorius's official website has been updated to remove a Nike ad banner across the top that had become highly inappropriate. via Angel Jones on Twitter.
11.22 British heptahtlete Jessica Ennis reacted to the news on Twitter this morning.
Similar reactions were posted by other British athletes and Olympians, including triple jumper Phillips Idowu: Waking up to extremely sad news about Oscar Pistorius mistakenly shooting his girlfriend. Terrible tragedy, thoughts & prayers with you.
and Jonnie Peacock, who simply said: can not believe it....
11.18 Silver Woods Country Estate, the gated community in which Pistorius lived and the murder took place, has issued a statement.
We are deeply saddened by the tragic circumstances that occurred today at Silver Woods. Our sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to Reeva Steenkamp’s family and friends.
The website describes the gated community as a "prestigious security estate".
11.05 Oscar Pistorius leaves the Boschkop police station, east of Pretoria, South Africa en route to appear in court charged with murder. Pistorius's unusually quick appearance in court was reportedly requested by the athlete himself.
10.47 Police are opposing requests for bail as Pistorius prepares to appear in court at 2pm. The force is also yet to formally confirm the identity of the victim but the modelling agent of Pistorius's girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp has reportedly confirmed it was Steenkamp who was shot four times by the athlete in the early hours of this morning.
10.34 Brigadier Denise Beukes of the South African Police has told reporters the force is "very surprised" by the suggestion that Pistorius mistook Steenkamp for a burglar, clarifying that the reports did not come from the police. She also revealed that police have been called to Pistorius's address before to deal with "allegations of a domestic nature".
A Pretoria Police spokeswoman talks to reporters outside Oscar Pistorius's gated community.
10.21 Citing a court official in Pretoria, ITV's Africa correspondent Rohit Kachroo reports that Pistorius is due to appear in court in two hours.
10.11 Pistorius's interest in firearms was highlighted in a New York Times profile, 'The Fast Life of Oscar Pistorius', published early last year.
Pistorius lives in the house with a friend from high school, an engineer who moonlights as a mixed-martial-arts fighter. Pistorius had recently broken off a relationship with his longtime girlfriend, though another young woman was visiting when we got there. As he put together lunch for all of us — fruit smoothies, breaded chicken fillets he pulled from the refrigerator — he mentioned that a security alarm in the house had gone off the previous night, and he had grabbed his gun and tiptoed downstairs. (It turned out to be nothing.)
. . .
“We should go to the range,” he said. He fetched his 9-millimeter handgun and two boxes of ammunition. We got back in the car and drove to a nearby firing range, where he instructed me on proper technique. Pistorius was a good coach. A couple of my shots got close to the bull’s-eye, which delighted him. “Maybe you should do this more,” he said. “If you practiced, I think you could be pretty deadly.” I asked him how often he came to the range. “Just sometimes when I can’t sleep,” he said.
The athlete also gave details last year of his home firearms in interviews with both the New York Times and the Daily Mail, revealing that he slept alongside a 9mm handgun and kept a 'machine gun' by his window, and went to gun ranges "when he couldn't sleep".
13.29 Seruscka Naidoo, a spokeswoman for Nike South Africa, just told me that the company was "sorry to have heard about the tragic events and offers condolences to all of the families involved" but said the sports brand would not comment on its commercial relationship with the athlete at this stage.
13.14 Sky News has apparently spoken to Pistorius's father Henke, who says his son is "a bit emotional, but he is fine".
12.56 A BT spokesman has just told me that the company is "awaiting the outcome of the South African police investigation" before making a decision over its commercial relationship with Pistorius, despite the athlete being charged with murder. I'm expecting a full statement soon.
That full statement is: "We are shocked by this terrible, tragic news. We await the outcome of the South African police investigation."
Another of Pistorius's major sponsors, Nike, has been approached for comment, but not responded yet. Earlier today a Nike banner ad featuring pictures of Pistorius and the slogan "I am the bullet in the chamber" was removed from the athlete's website (see below at 11.30am).
12.41 Pistorius's court appearance has been delayed until Friday. He will appear at Pretoria Magistrates' Court at 9am local time (7am GMT).
12.34 South African TV channel M-Net Movies has yet to remove a new campaign video for its Oscars coverage featuring Pistorius. Both the ad and a behind-the scenes video are still available on Youtube, along with promotional material on the channel's website. Not for much longer presumably. More from Huffington Post here.
Update: M-Net parent company DSTV has now said it is pulling the advertising campaign.
12.10 There seems to be a certain amount of confusion in Pretoria over where and when Pistorius will appear in court. My colleagueAislinn Laing reports that he will not be appearing, as expected, at 2pm (12pm GMT) at Pretoria Central Courts.
Pretoria Central magistrate says Pretorius case won't be heard before him today, but possibly in city centre court. Media pack moves on.
12.02 Full statement in now from Reeva Steenkamp's PR agency confirming she was the victim of this morning's shooting. South African police are yet to formally identify the victim.
We can confirm that Reeva Steenkamp has passed away. We are in communication with people on the scene, please wait for official statements, as there is too much speculation at this moment in time. We will provide further information as soon as we are able to provide accurate information as to what transpired. Our thoughts and prayers go to the Steenkamp family, who have asked to have their privacy respected during this difficult time, everyone is simply devastated. She was the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth and will be sorely missed.The agency also issued a few photographs that it said Steenkamp was fond of.
(Ice Model Management)
11.54 Erin Conway Smith is at Pretoria Central Prison, where Pistorius was due to appear at 2pm local time . It looks likely that the appearance will be delayed though, possibly until 4pm.
11.44 Steenkamp's modelling agency, Ice Model Management, has issued a statement saying staff are "shocked and devastated" by the news.
Everyone at Ice Model Management and Ice Genetics is absolutely shocked & devastated by the news!Reeva has been with the Ice family for some seven years now and she was a wonderful, beautiful, & caring soul & will be missed immensely.
It is indeed a very sad day for all those that loved & treasured her, our hearts are broken.
Our thoughts, prayers & condolences are with her family and friends.
11.39 We now have a video of the police press conference from earlier, in which a spokeswoman dismisses early reports that Pistorius mistook Steenkamp for a burglar and reveals that officers had been called to the athlete's address before to deal with "allegations of a domestic nature".
Police have still not formally identified Steenkamp as the victim, but have confirmed that a 30-year-old woman was shot four times in the head and chest and said they will oppose bail for Pistorius.
11.30 Oscar Pistorius's official website has been updated to remove a Nike ad banner across the top that had become highly inappropriate. via Angel Jones on Twitter.
11.22 British heptahtlete Jessica Ennis reacted to the news on Twitter this morning.
Similar reactions were posted by other British athletes and Olympians, including triple jumper Phillips Idowu: Waking up to extremely sad news about Oscar Pistorius mistakenly shooting his girlfriend. Terrible tragedy, thoughts & prayers with you.
and Jonnie Peacock, who simply said: can not believe it....
11.18 Silver Woods Country Estate, the gated community in which Pistorius lived and the murder took place, has issued a statement.
We are deeply saddened by the tragic circumstances that occurred today at Silver Woods. Our sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to Reeva Steenkamp’s family and friends.The website describes the gated community as a "prestigious security estate".
11.05 Oscar Pistorius leaves the Boschkop police station, east of Pretoria, South Africa en route to appear in court charged with murder. Pistorius's unusually quick appearance in court was reportedly requested by the athlete himself.
10.47 Police are opposing requests for bail as Pistorius prepares to appear in court at 2pm. The force is also yet to formally confirm the identity of the victim but the modelling agent of Pistorius's girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp has reportedly confirmed it was Steenkamp who was shot four times by the athlete in the early hours of this morning.
10.34 Brigadier Denise Beukes of the South African Police has told reporters the force is "very surprised" by the suggestion that Pistorius mistook Steenkamp for a burglar, clarifying that the reports did not come from the police. She also revealed that police have been called to Pistorius's address before to deal with "allegations of a domestic nature".
A Pretoria Police spokeswoman talks to reporters outside Oscar Pistorius's gated community.
10.21 Citing a court official in Pretoria, ITV's Africa correspondent Rohit Kachroo reports that Pistorius is due to appear in court in two hours.
10.11 Pistorius's interest in firearms was highlighted in a New York Times profile, 'The Fast Life of Oscar Pistorius', published early last year.
Pistorius lives in the house with a friend from high school, an engineer who moonlights as a mixed-martial-arts fighter. Pistorius had recently broken off a relationship with his longtime girlfriend, though another young woman was visiting when we got there. As he put together lunch for all of us — fruit smoothies, breaded chicken fillets he pulled from the refrigerator — he mentioned that a security alarm in the house had gone off the previous night, and he had grabbed his gun and tiptoed downstairs. (It turned out to be nothing.). . .
“We should go to the range,” he said. He fetched his 9-millimeter handgun and two boxes of ammunition. We got back in the car and drove to a nearby firing range, where he instructed me on proper technique. Pistorius was a good coach. A couple of my shots got close to the bull’s-eye, which delighted him. “Maybe you should do this more,” he said. “If you practiced, I think you could be pretty deadly.” I asked him how often he came to the range. “Just sometimes when I can’t sleep,” he said.
The home of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius in a gated housing complex in Pretoria, South Africa
10.03 Karyn Maughan, a legal journalist at South Africa's eNCA, reports that Pistorius was in "massive shock" when police arrived at his house in a gated complex in Pretoria in the early hours.
09.59 My colleague Aislinn Laing spoke to us over the phone earlier about the events that have unfolded so far this morning.
09.47 The incident happened in the early hours of Thursday morning at Pistorius's home in the Silver Woods complex in the Boschkop area of Pretoria, seen here.
10.03 Karyn Maughan, a legal journalist at South Africa's eNCA, reports that Pistorius was in "massive shock" when police arrived at his house in a gated complex in Pretoria in the early hours.
09.59 My colleague Aislinn Laing spoke to us over the phone earlier about the events that have unfolded so far this morning.
09.47 The incident happened in the early hours of Thursday morning at Pistorius's home in the Silver Woods complex in the Boschkop area of Pretoria, seen here.
South African police vehicles from Boschkop Police Station enter the Siver Woods Country Estate in Pretoria (EPA)
09.35 Pistorius was born in Johannesburg in 1986, the second of three children, with a congenital condition which meant that both calf bones were missing. He turned to athletics in 2003 following a rugby injury, sprinting as part of his rehabilitation.
At 17 he won gold in the Paralympics T44 – an event for single and double leg amputees – 200 metres – in a world record time of 21.97 secs – and bronze in the 100 metres.
“I’m not disabled, I just don’t have any legs,” he has always asserted.
09.22 Oscar Pistorious has been charged with murder. Police spokeswoman Sarah Mcira has confirmed that the 26-year-old has been charged. Police now have 48 hours to question him and continue investigations before he is brought before the court. Mcira adds that Pistorius could appear in court as early as this afternoon.
09.09 Mr Pistorius' agent Peet van Zyl has told The Daily Telegraph he was heading to Pretoria to speak to his client:
I hope I can have access to him at the police station. At this point in time I can't give any details about what has happened.
Oscar is a humble person and a lovely guy - I'm sure what's happened has been a terrible mistake but I really don't have the details at the moment.
09.35 Pistorius was born in Johannesburg in 1986, the second of three children, with a congenital condition which meant that both calf bones were missing. He turned to athletics in 2003 following a rugby injury, sprinting as part of his rehabilitation.
At 17 he won gold in the Paralympics T44 – an event for single and double leg amputees – 200 metres – in a world record time of 21.97 secs – and bronze in the 100 metres.
“I’m not disabled, I just don’t have any legs,” he has always asserted.
09.22 Oscar Pistorious has been charged with murder. Police spokeswoman Sarah Mcira has confirmed that the 26-year-old has been charged. Police now have 48 hours to question him and continue investigations before he is brought before the court. Mcira adds that Pistorius could appear in court as early as this afternoon.
09.09 Mr Pistorius' agent Peet van Zyl has told The Daily Telegraph he was heading to Pretoria to speak to his client:
I hope I can have access to him at the police station. At this point in time I can't give any details about what has happened.Oscar is a humble person and a lovely guy - I'm sure what's happened has been a terrible mistake but I really don't have the details at the moment.
Two recently tweeted photos of Reeva Steenkamp, who has been named in South African media as the victim
08.42 The Telegraph's South African correspondent, Aislinn Laing, writes:
South Africa continues to be one of the most violent countries in the world and many people have personal firearms in their homes in case of robberies, which frequently involve terrifying violence. Last year alone, there were 16,766 reported cases of house robberies alone.
There have been several tragic cases where people have killed members of their own household who they mistook for intruders. Last November, a father was arrested for shooting dead his 15-year-old daughter in their garden as she returned home from a night out with friends.
William Booth, a criminal lawyer based in Cape Town, said that the law provided some self-defence protection.
"The law says that you are entitled to shoot somebody if that person is attacking you or another person," he said.
"You are also entitled to shoot somebody even if that person is not armed with a firearm but if you believe that intruder is going to cause serious harm or death to you or someone else in your house.
"In South Africa many many housebreakers and house robbers kill people because they get in the way and they don't want to be identified, or because they are high on drugs.
"These things can however lead to tragic circumstances because people are very fearful given the levels of violence and sometimes could act too soon."
08.42 The Telegraph's South African correspondent, Aislinn Laing, writes:
South Africa continues to be one of the most violent countries in the world and many people have personal firearms in their homes in case of robberies, which frequently involve terrifying violence. Last year alone, there were 16,766 reported cases of house robberies alone.
There have been several tragic cases where people have killed members of their own household who they mistook for intruders. Last November, a father was arrested for shooting dead his 15-year-old daughter in their garden as she returned home from a night out with friends.
William Booth, a criminal lawyer based in Cape Town, said that the law provided some self-defence protection.
"The law says that you are entitled to shoot somebody if that person is attacking you or another person," he said.
"You are also entitled to shoot somebody even if that person is not armed with a firearm but if you believe that intruder is going to cause serious harm or death to you or someone else in your house.
"In South Africa many many housebreakers and house robbers kill people because they get in the way and they don't want to be identified, or because they are high on drugs.
"These things can however lead to tragic circumstances because people are very fearful given the levels of violence and sometimes could act too soon."
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius starts in the men's 400-meter semifinal during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012.
08.36 The incident happened at 3AM local time .Police Captain Sarah Mcira said they would confirm the arrested man's identity, and the woman's, when he appeared before magistrates:
We are investigating all the allegations. We don't know what has transpired yet. This happened at 3am - we are still speaking to the estate security guards.
I would imagine (the man in custody) is badly shaken.
08.28 Former British runner Iwan Thomas has tweeted:
08.36 The incident happened at 3AM local time .Police Captain Sarah Mcira said they would confirm the arrested man's identity, and the woman's, when he appeared before magistrates:
We are investigating all the allegations. We don't know what has transpired yet. This happened at 3am - we are still speaking to the estate security guards.I would imagine (the man in custody) is badly shaken.
08.28 Former British runner Iwan Thomas has tweeted:
I am in total shock to hear the news about athlete and friend Oscar, my thoughts are with him and all involved. That's all I have to say
08.16 South African media have reported that the shooting could have been a "Valentine's Day surprise" that went tragically wrong. Miss Steenkampa tweeted on Wednesday:
08.16 South African media have reported that the shooting could have been a "Valentine's Day surprise" that went tragically wrong. Miss Steenkampa tweeted on Wednesday:
What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow???
08.12 The woman has been widely named as Reeva Steenkampa, a cover girl for the local edition of FHM magazine. Miss Steenkamp is understood to have given an interview to South Africa’s Sunday Times last weekend about her life with Mr Pistorius. Police have not yet named the victim.
08.00 Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the news that Oscar Pistorius has reportedly shot dead his girlfriend, named by South African media as Reeva Steenkamp.
Source : Telegraph
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/patryn.worldlatestnews
08.12 The woman has been widely named as Reeva Steenkampa, a cover girl for the local edition of FHM magazine. Miss Steenkamp is understood to have given an interview to South Africa’s Sunday Times last weekend about her life with Mr Pistorius. Police have not yet named the victim.
08.00 Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the news that Oscar Pistorius has reportedly shot dead his girlfriend, named by South African media as Reeva Steenkamp.
Source : Telegraph
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/patryn.worldlatestnews
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