On Friday, the judge in Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial granted the South African double below-the-knee amputee Olympian bail after determining Pistorius was not a dangerous person, did not pose a flight risk, and would not try to intimidate potential witnesses.
Magistrate Desmond Nair, after dragging out his decision, granted Pistorius bail after examining the “totality of the evidence.” Pistorius now does not have to await his murder trial in jail.
Bail was set at 1 million rand, which is roughly $114,000. Pistorius must surrender all his firearms, passports, and avoid all airports and witnesses. The next hearing will be on June 4.
The prosecution has charged Pistorius with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day. Pistorius has claimed, in an affidavit his defense attorney read, that he accidentally shot his girlfriend, mistaking her for an intruder. The case may hinge on whether the evidence shows Pistorius put on his carbon fiber prostheses before he shot Steenkamp. Pistorius claimed he fired shots into the bathroom where Steenkamp had been on his stumps. The prosecution has claimed forensic evidence will show Pistorius fired the shots on his “legs.”
Nair blistered the lead detective, Hilton Botha, who has since been removed from the case after it was revealed he is facing seven charges of attempted murder, for his inconsistent testimony and shoddy police investigation.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.