Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius appealed against some of his bail restrictions on Thursday, saying the Olympic athlete might eventually need to return to track competition to earn money.
Report by The Guardian
Pistorius’s lawyers say their client, who is charged with murder after shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead on 14 Februrary, is being treated as a flight risk even though a magistrate ruled last month that he was not when he released the double-amputee runner on bail.
Barry Roux said that Pistorius’s current bail restrictions amounted to “house arrest”. Prosecutors say they oppose any relaxing of the bail restrictions.
Roux said that Pistorius has no desire to return to the track now, but “this might and this will change”. He said Pistorius should be allowed to travel to international competitions under controlled circumstances, under which he would require permission to travel from police and would have to give details of his schedule before leaving South Africa.
Roux also argued against the ruling that Pistorius was not allowed to return to his home in a gated community in the eastern suburbs of Pretoria, where he shot Steenkamp dead.
His lawyers say he must be allowed to consult residents in order to prepare his defence against the murder charge.
Pistorius claims he killed Steenkamp accidentally when he fired shots through a door in his bathroom in the pre-dawn hours, fearing there was an intruder in his house. Prosecutors say he shot the model and reality TV star intentionally after they argued, and they have charged him with premeditated murder.
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Pistorius was not required to attend his appeal hearing and neither he nor any of his family members were present at North Gauteng high court in Pretoria.
The judge said he would rule on Pistorius’s appeal later on Thursday.
