Pistorius weeps in court as murder trial set for March 2014

Wednesday, 21 August 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: South African Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, prayed and wiped away tears at a court hearing on Monday which set a March 3, 2014 start date for his trial.

The trial was moved to a high court and is scheduled to run until March 23. If convicted of murder, he could face up to life in prison. Double-amputee Pistorius, 26, known as “Blade Runner” for the prostheses he wears in competition, bowed his head and held his hands in prayer with his brother Carl and sister Aimee before the brief hearing in a Pretoria court. Detailed charges were presented in an indictment outlining the prosecution’s case of premeditated murder against Pistorius, who has admitted to shooting Steenkamp through a bathroom door at his Pretoria home on February 14, Valentine’s Day. Pistorius, who was released on bail in February, claims he was acting in self-defence against what he thought was an intruder. In the South African legal system, an indictment is used to move existing charges from a lower court to a high court. Pistorius was also handed a lesser charge of violating provisions of the firearms control act for having 38 rounds of unlicensed ammunition at his home. Steenkamp, a fashion model and aspiring TV star, was shot in the head, arm and hip and died at the residence.