Oscar Pistorius: I cannot afford a new trial over girlfriend’s killing

Oscar Pistorius has said he cannot afford a new trial over the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The former Paralympic athlete, who was jailed for five years, said it would be too long and complex to go through the court process again. In papers filed with South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal, his lawyer, Barry Roux, claimed his first trial was subject to intense public scrutiny which would “contaminate and confuse” the reliability and objectivity of another hearing. Furthermore, Pistorius’ financial ability to pay for a second trial was “non-existent”, he added.

As her family, we do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr Pistorius to suffer; that will not bring her back to us.

Reeva Steenkamp’s family

The papers were filed in response to prosecutors’ argument that Pistorius should have been found guilty of murdering Ms Steenkamp, 29, and not the lesser charge of culpable homicide for which he was jailed. But Mr Roux said his client also faced the risk of double jeopardy because he would be charged with murder again, on the same evidence, despite having been cleared of that allegation. The Court of Appeal is expected to consider the issue in November. Ms Steenkamp, a model and reality TV star, died when Pistorius fired four shots though the bathroom door at his Pretoria home on St Valentine’s Day 2013. A parole board will decide tomorrow (Friday) whether double amputee Pistorius, 28, can be freed to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest.

He is managing in jail, he’s isolated but hanging in and praying to keep up his strength.

Pistorius’s legal team

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