'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius charged with premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

Oscar Pistorius is today facing the possibility of months in jail before a trial after a magistrate ruled that he faces a charge of premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The judge said he will consider downgrading the charge later during the emotionally-charged bail hearing, but the news brought Pistoruis and his family to tears.

Today the sportsman was accused of grabbing his gun and strapping on his prosthetic legs before walking seven metres and shooting dead the model.


Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the court that Pistorius shot the 29-year-old model four times through the bathroom door of his home in a guarded and gated complex in the South African capital, Pretoria.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel laid bare the facts: 'The applicant armed himself, attached his prosthesis, walked seven metres to the bathroom and shot the deceased while she was in the toilet. He shot four times ... There's no possible explanation to support his report that he thought it was a burglar.'Mr Nel said the killing was premeditated because Pistorius had planned to say that he thought he was shooting an intruder

'It was all part of the preplanning. Why would a burglar lock himself inside the bathroom?' Mr Nel said.

Mr Nel said the bathroom door had later been broken down from the outside, and questioned why someone would lock a bathroom door at 3 a.m.

'She locked that door for a purpose. We'll get to that purpose,' Mr Nel said.... That is where she was when those shots were fired. She couldn't go anywhere. It must have been horrific.'

The court was told that Miss Steenkamp had arrived at Pistorius' home at around 6pm, with an overnight bag.

Mr Nel argued 'It was pre-planned up until the time that he shot her. If he felt bad after that, that's something different.'

But Pistorius' defence lawyer Barry Roux said the shooting was accidental: 'We submit it is not even murder. There is no concession this is a murder.'

He said there were a number of cases where men have shot members of their own family through doors after mistaking them for burglars.

He also suggested that Pistorius broke the bathroom door down to help Miss Steenkamp after the shooting.