Oscar Pistorius was awarded bail on Friday after being charged with murdering his girlfriend. He will be free, pending his trial in a few months’ time. The ruling by Magistrate Desmond Nair was cheered by Pistorius’ family and supporters at the Pretoria magistrate’s court; the athlete himself was unmoved. The bail decision followed days of dramatic testimony about how the athlete killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his luxury home on Valentine’s Day. Prosecutors said Oscar Pistorius committed murder when he fired four shots into a locked bathroom door, hitting his girlfriend cowering on the other side. Steenkamp, 29, suffered gunshot wounds to her head, hip and arm. Pistorius’ defense team argued the killing was a tragic mistake, saying the athlete had mistaken her for an intruder , a notion police have scoffed at. In any case, his attorneys said he was too famous to pose a flight risk and deserved bail to prepare for a case that has drawn worldwide attention. A judge agreed, and he will be released pending his trial , which is unlikely to start for several months. It is unclear what amount he was required to post. Olympic and Paralympic star Pistorius, a double amputee who runs races on a pair of carbon-fiber blades, faces life in prison if convicted of murder. The shooting and allegations at the bail hearing stunned the millions around the world who saw his track glory as an inspiring tale of triumph over adversity.
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Oscar Pistorius: Free on Bail in Murder Case
