Oscar Pistorius is a “broken” man who should be hospitalised rather than jailed, a South African court heard yesterday, as the Paralympic athlete awaits sentencing for the murder of his girlfriend three years ago
Oscar Pistorius
Pretoria: Oscar Pistorius is a “broken” man who should be hospitalised rather than jailed, a South African court heard yesterday, as the Paralympic athlete awaits sentencing for the murder of his girlfriend three years ago.
South African paralympian Oscar Pistorius at Pretoria High Court yesterday. Pic/AFP
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The double-amputee killed Reeva Steenkamp, a model and law graduate, in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013, saying he mistook her for an intruder when he fired four times through the door of his bedroom toilet.
Red-eyed & tearful
Red-eyed, tearful and sometimes resting his head in his hands, the 29-year-old “Blade Runner” attended the first day of his sentencing hearing at the High Court in Pretoria along with members of his family.
“He has developed a serious psychiatric condition which has become worse in the past two years,” psychologist Jonathan Scholtz, called by the defence, told the court.
“Further imprisonment would have a detrimental effect on him.” Scholtz said that during recent interviews Pistorius had displayed signs of “post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder and depressive disorder”.
“Currently he is not able to testify (to the court). His condition is severe,” he said.
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