Oscar, Reeva 'had future plans together'
2013-02-16 23:01
Pretoria - Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius was planning
a future with the girlfriend he is accused of shooting dead this week, his
uncle said on Saturday.
Pistorius, 26, one of the world's most recognisable
athletes, was charged on Friday with murdering model and law graduate Reeva
Steenkamp in the early hours of the previous day.
He broke down during a 40-minute bail hearing at a Pretoria
court but was not asked to enter a plea.
"They had plans together and Oscar was happier in his
private life than he had been for a long time," Anthony Pistorius said in
a statement released by his nephew's agent.
State of shock
"We are in a state of total shock - firstly about the
tragic death of Reeva who we had all got to know well and care for deeply over
the last few months," he said. "All of us saw at first hand how close
she had become to Oscar during that time and how happy they were."
The suggestion that Pistorius's family was close to
Steenkamp runs counter to comments from Pistorius's father, Henke, who told the
New York Times he had never met his son's partner.
"I don't discuss my son's relationships. I have, in
fact, not met the lady," he was quoted as saying.
Prosecutors alleged the shooting was premeditated, a charge
that could put Pistorius behind bars for life if convicted.
Police have said there are no other suspects and the pair
were the only people in the house at the time. Initial reports suggested he may
have mistaken her for an intruder.
Anthony Pistorius reiterated the family's belief that the
track star had not shot Steenkamp
deliberately.
"After consulting with legal representatives we deeply
regret the allegation of pre-meditated murder," Anthony said.
"We have no doubt there is no substance to the
allegation and that the State's own case, including its own forensic evidence,
strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder
at all."
'Numb' with shock, grief
Pistorius is being held in a Pretoria police station before
the resumption of his bail hearing on Tuesday. He is "numb" with
shock and grief, the statement said.
Several media reports have said Steenkamp was
shot through the bathroom door and was hit four times - in the head, hip, arm
and hand.
Police said on Thursday witnesses had heard disturbances at
the home before the shots, adding that there had been previous incidents of a
"domestic nature" at the home.
The shooting has shocked the country, where Pistorius was
revered as a hero.
The disbelief was felt across the globe among the millions
who saw in Pistorius the ultimate tale of triumph over adversity - a man who
rose to the highest pinnacles of athletics despite having no lower legs.
He was born without either fibula but reached the semi-final
of the 400-metres in the London 2012 Olympics, running on high-technology
carbon fibre prosthetic 'blades'. He also won two Paralympic gold medals and
one silver medal.
Although the public image was of a charming and easy-going
young man, a Twitter posting by Pistorius in November paints the picture of a
would-be action man obsessed with security.
"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," read the Tweet on the morning of 27 November.
Firearm licence
Police recovered a 9mm pistol from his home after the
shooting. Beeld newspaper said Pistorius had a licence for one firearm and
applications pending for a further seven, including a semi-automatic rifle.
Police declined to comment on the Beeld report.
"We're releasing nothing," spokesperson Katelgo
Mogale said. "Details of the incident will come out in court."
SABC on Saturday aired the first episode of a tropical
island reality show featuring Steenkamp that was filmed last year in the
Caribbean.
SABC said her family had given their blessing to the show's
airing, which will be preceded by a short tribute.
Visit News24's Oscar Pistorius Special Report.
