Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, after he shot and killed her through the bathroom door of their home in Pretoria on 14 February
Mr Pistorius denies murder. At bail hearing in February, Pistorius claimed he thought Steenkamp was a burglar when he shot her. However, Steenkamp’s family and the prosecution believe he shot her following an argument between the couple.
The BBC’s Andrew Harding described Mr Pistorius as looking “very calm” when he appeared in court, wearing a grey suit and being surrounded by family and friends.
Acting Chief Magistrate Daniel Thulare expressed concern for the role the media is playing on the case. He asked that the international media to respect the South African judicial system, and anyone with information about the case to approach the prosecution, not the media.
During the brief hearing, both the defense and prosecution requested to postpone the hearing until 19 August in order to prepare more for the case. The police are expected to finish their investigation into the crime by that time.
After hearing these requests, the magistrate agreed to postpone the hearing until August.
Pistorius only spoke once, saying “Yes, Your Honor”, when asked by the magistrate if he understood the magistrate’s remarks.
26-year-old Pistorius, who lost both of his legs when he was 11 months old, took the world by storm when he became the first double leg amputee to participate in the 2012 Olympics. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison.
Image via Getty
