Oscar Pistorius 'wept' after being granted bail

 

Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius had broken down after he had been granted bail on Friday from the trial of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp’s murder, leading to cheers from his supporters.

The Blade Runner was released from custody after the magistrate Desmond Nair said that he was satisfied with the fact that Pistorius did not pose a flight risk, or was likely to interfere with witnesses, the Telegraph reports.

According to Nair, although the sprinter was charged with pre-mediated murder, the state did not have enough evidence to guarantee a case that is ‘strong’ or ‘watertight’ enough to force the athlete to flee South Africa.

However, the magistrate added that although he would not judge Pistorius at his eventual trial, he still was not entirely convinced over Pistorius’ version of how Steenkamp was shot dead.

Under the bail conditions, Pistorius, who has been banned from visiting his home in Pretoria where Steenkamp died, will be confined to Pretoria – unless granted special permission – until his murder trial, and may face a possible life sentence if convicted, the report added.

Greeting the magistrate’s decision, Pistorius' uncle said that their family is grateful to the magistrate and the legal team, which had delivered professional and legal statements that led to the decision of giving bail.