Oscar Pistorius To Be Released On Bail, Judge Rules

The chief magistrate, Desmond Nair, granted Olympian Oscar Pistorius bail as the hearing concluded after several days this morning. Bail is set at 1 million rand (roughly 112,000 U.S. dollars).

“I’ve come to the conclusion that the accused has made a case to be granted bail,” Nair said. Pistorius and his defense argued that he was not at flight risk and would cooperate with authorities.

Pistorius is facing a charge of “premeditated murder” after his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was found fatally shot in his home. In an earlier statement, he disputed the charge.

“The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms,” it said, also adding that Pistorius “would like to send his deepest sympathies to the family of Reeva.”

Pistorius’ defense has argued that he was not aware Steenkamp was in the bathroom when he fired shots through the door, fearing a possible intruder. He gave his account to the court thusly:

“I fired shots at the toilet door and shouted at Reeva to phone the police. She did not respond and I moved backwards out of the bathroom, keeping my eyes on the bathroom entrance. Everything was pitch dark in the bedroom and I was still too scared to switch on a light. Reeva was not responding.

“When I reached the bed, I realized that Reeva was not in bed. That is when it dawned on me that it could have been Reeva who was in the toilet.”

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