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Pistorius Bail Ruling Is Expected Friday Pistorius Bail Ruling Is Expected Friday
(about 1 hour later)
PRETORIA, South Africa — A South African magistrate said he will rule on Friday whether Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee track star accused of murdering his girlfriend, will be granted bail in a case that has riveted the nation.PRETORIA, South Africa — A South African magistrate said he will rule on Friday whether Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee track star accused of murdering his girlfriend, will be granted bail in a case that has riveted the nation.
The decision will be announced in the early afternoon when the court resumes after a midday recess, according to Magistrate Desmond Nair, who listened to final arguments between the defense and prosecution over whether bail should be granted.The decision will be announced in the early afternoon when the court resumes after a midday recess, according to Magistrate Desmond Nair, who listened to final arguments between the defense and prosecution over whether bail should be granted.
The prosecution opposes the sprinter’s application to be released on bail until a full trial, arguing that he might flee. It says Mr. Pistorius committed the premeditated murder of Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law school graduate, when he fired four shots through a locked bathroom door at his home in a gated community while she was on the other side in the early hours of Feb. 14. He has said he believed the person in the bathroom was an intruder.The prosecution opposes the sprinter’s application to be released on bail until a full trial, arguing that he might flee. It says Mr. Pistorius committed the premeditated murder of Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law school graduate, when he fired four shots through a locked bathroom door at his home in a gated community while she was on the other side in the early hours of Feb. 14. He has said he believed the person in the bathroom was an intruder.
Premeditated murder is the most serious murder charge under South African criminal law and carries a mandatory life sentence with parole in 25 years at the latest.Premeditated murder is the most serious murder charge under South African criminal law and carries a mandatory life sentence with parole in 25 years at the latest.
Mr. Pistorius’s lawyer, Barry Roux, said Friday that if he were prosecuting the case, the charge would be culpable homicide — a less serious charge implying either negligence or a lack of intention to kill.Mr. Pistorius’s lawyer, Barry Roux, said Friday that if he were prosecuting the case, the charge would be culpable homicide — a less serious charge implying either negligence or a lack of intention to kill.
With his head bowed as he entered the court on Friday, Mr. Pistorius appeared to be struggling to hold back tears, his jaw clenched, as the prosecutor described Ms. Steenkamp’s plight on Feb. 14.With his head bowed as he entered the court on Friday, Mr. Pistorius appeared to be struggling to hold back tears, his jaw clenched, as the prosecutor described Ms. Steenkamp’s plight on Feb. 14.
“I am not saying the planning of the murder of Reeva Steenkamp happened weeks ahead, days ahead,” said the prosecutor, Gerrie Nel. “I am saying the planning to kill Reeva Steenkamp happened that night.”“I am not saying the planning of the murder of Reeva Steenkamp happened weeks ahead, days ahead,” said the prosecutor, Gerrie Nel. “I am saying the planning to kill Reeva Steenkamp happened that night.”
Ms. Steenkamp took refuge in the bathroom either to escape a fight or a gun, he said.Ms. Steenkamp took refuge in the bathroom either to escape a fight or a gun, he said.
But Magistrate Nair seemed skeptical on Friday about the risk of flight by Mr. Pistorius. “What kind of life would he lead, a person who has to use prostheses, if he has to flee” and found himself “ducking and diving every day” on artificial limbs, the magistrate asked. “His international career would be over in any event.”But Magistrate Nair seemed skeptical on Friday about the risk of flight by Mr. Pistorius. “What kind of life would he lead, a person who has to use prostheses, if he has to flee” and found himself “ducking and diving every day” on artificial limbs, the magistrate asked. “His international career would be over in any event.”
“A life not in prison,” Mr. Nel replied, comparing Mr. Pistorius to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who has taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, despite his “famous face.”“A life not in prison,” Mr. Nel replied, comparing Mr. Pistorius to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who has taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, despite his “famous face.”
Mr. Pistorius’s coach, Ampie Louw, told reporters on Friday that he is considering putting the athlete back in training if he secures bail. Mr. Pistorius has canceled planned track appearances and several corporate sponsors — the most recent of them Nike on Thursday — have distanced themselves from him. Piling on emotional pressure on Friday, Mr. Nel linked the death of Ms. Steenkamp to other violence against women in South Africa, including Anene Booysen, a 17-year-old who was raped and murdered in the Cape region earlier this month. “The degree of violence present in this case is horrific,” Mr. Nel said.
Piling on pressure on Friday, Mr. Nel linked the death of Ms. Steenkamp to other violence against women in South Africa, including Anene Booysen, a 17-year-old who was raped and murdered in the Cape region earlier this month. “The degree of violence present in this case is horrific,” Mr. Nel said. But Mr. Roux, the defense lawyer, said it would be impossible for Mr. Pistorius to flee South Africa if granted bail because of his artificial limbs and his global renown. “Let me tell you how difficult it is for this man to disappear from this world,” Mr. Roux said.
Mr. Pistorius has said he had no intention of killing Ms. Steenkamp. "He did not want to kill Reeva. He had no intent to kill Reeva," Mr. Roux said. Mr. Pistorius sobbed, as he has done frequently during the bail hearings.
But on Thursday, Mr. Nel labeled Mr. Pistorius’s account “improbable.” The athlete’s longtime coach, Ampie Louw, told reporters on Friday that he is considering putting the athlete back in training if he secures bail “to get his mind clear.”
“What we can’t forget is the applicant is charged with murdering a defenseless, innocent woman,” Mr. Nel said. Mr. Pistorius has canceled planned track appearances and several corporate sponsors — the most recent of them Nike on Thursday — have distanced themselves from him.
Mr. Pistorius has said that he did not realize Ms. Steenkamp was no longer in bed as he rose to check for an intruder, shouting to her to call the police. While Mr. Pistorius may not be emotionally ready to think about running, Mr. Louw said, “the change is that he is heartbroken, that is all.” Mr. Louw spoke to reporters in the packed courtroom.
“You want to protect her, but you don’t even look at her?” Mr. Nel said. “You don’t even ask, ‘Reeva, are you all right?’  Earlier Thursday, the case was partially eclipsed by developments in the prosecution camp, when the South African police replaced its lead investigator after revelations that he was facing seven charges of attempted murder stemming from an episode in which police officers fired at a minivan. “For me it is tough to see that. Not to be able to reach out and sit next to him and say ’Sorry, man, it was a terrible accident.’ But I cannot do it, I must just sit here in court and that’s all.”
The national police commissioner, Riah Phiyega, said later that a divisional police commissioner, Lt. Gen. Vinesh Moonoo, would be assigned to preside over “this very important investigation.” The change was announced a day after the original lead investigator, Detective Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, acknowledged several mistakes in the police work and conceded that, based on the existing evidence, he could not rule out the version of events presented by Mr. Pistorius. “The sooner he can start working the better,” Mr. Louw said.
A police brigadier, Neville Malila, told reporters on Thursday that Detective Botha was scheduled to appear in court in May on the attempted murder charges in connection with an episode in which Mr. Botha and two other police officers fired at a minivan. In a poignant aside to the case, the South Africa edition of heat, a celebrity gossip magazine, on Friday published what it said was Ms. Steenkamp’s last interview, a week before her death, in which she said the couple had not been discussing their relationship publicly in the media “because I don’t want to get it tainted. I don’t want anything coming in the way of his career. He’s such an amazing athlete.”
“Botha and two other policemen allegedly tried to stop a minibus taxi with seven people,” Brigadier Malila said. “They fired shots.” While the charges were initially dropped, “we were informed yesterday that the charges will be reinstated,” he said. “You know what they do, they make things up, ‘Reeva cheats on Oscar’ and rubbish like that. I wouldn’t want lies about us jeopardizing it,” she said, according to an advance excerpt from the interview.
Medupe Simasiku, a spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority, told reporters that the decision to reinstate the charges was made on Feb. 4, long before Ms. Steenkamp was killed. On Thursday, the case was partially eclipsed by developments in the prosecution camp, when the South African police replaced its lead investigator, Detective Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, after revelations that he was facing seven charges of attempted murder stemming from an episode in which police officers fired at a minivan.
The national police commissioner, Riah Phiyega, said a divisional police commissioner, Lt. Gen. Vinesh Moonoo, would be assigned to preside over “this very important investigation.”

Lydia Polgreen reported from Pretoria, South Africa, and Alan Cowell from London.

Lydia Polgreen reported from Pretoria, South Africa, and Alan Cowell from London.