Magistrate asks about Oscar's conduct

2013-02-21 15:42

Oscar Pistorius (Picture: AFP)

Pretoria - Pretoria Magistrate Desmond Nair sought more information about Oscar Pistorius' conduct on Thursday during the murder-accused Paralympian's bail application.

"There's evidence by the investigating officer that the accused threatened to break someone's legs... used foul language to describe what he would do to somebody," said Nair.

"There's evidence of a charge of assault laid against the accused," he continued in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court.

"'I will break your legs. I will bash you up'," Nair quoted from a statement.

Nair also referred to an accidental shooting at Tasha's restaurant, at Melrose Arch, in Johannesburg.

The court has heard that a firearm went off when it was passed to Pistorius under a table.

Nair said that, according to hearsay, Pistorius got someone else to take the blame.

"I still don't know all the facts," Pistorius' counsel Barry Roux said of the accidental discharge of the firearm, adding that details about the incident were "vague".

Roux submitted that he did not think the sections of the Criminal Procedure Act which stipulate why not to give bail included something "this vague".

Nair was referring to references of "violence to others, threats to others, and past conduct" which he has to weigh when considering bail.

Nair read out an item about "community shock and outrage", which Roux countered by saying there would always be people outrage because "someone was killed and someone was in jail".

There would not be community outrage if Pistorius was granted bail after he had disclosed his defence, Roux said.

Pistorius has denied a charge of murdering Steenkamp, and has said he thought a burglar was in the toilet when he shot through the door, killing her.

Visit News24's Oscar Pistorius Special Report.

- SAPA