Drawing cheers from Oscar Pistorius' family and friends in attendance, the paraolympian, charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, got some unexpected good news.
A South African court granted the tracker star bail on Friday, after his defense lawyers argued he was too famous to pose a flight risk. The court set bail was at 1 million rand, or $113,000 U.S. Pistorius was ordered to hand over firearms and passports, avoid his home and all witnesses in the case, and report to a police station twice a week and not to drink alcohol, according to Reuters.
Prosecutors claim the 26 year old, committed premeditated murder when he fired four shots into a locked bathroom door, hitting Steenkamp four times on the other side in the predawn hours on Valentine's Day.
Steenkamp and Pistorius had been dating for several months, according to Reuters. Pistorius' defense team argued the killing was a tragic mistake, saying the athlete had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder.
The defense said he was too famous to pose a flight risk and deserved bail to prepare for a case that has drawn worldwide attention.
The Olympic and Paralympic star faces life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder. There is no death penalty in South Africa, and unlike the U.S., there are no juries in determining a verdict.
Pistorius contends he was acting in self-defense after mistaking Steenkamp for an intruder, and feeling vulnerable because he was unable to attach his prosthetic limbs in time to confront the perceived threat.
He said he grabbed a 9-mm pistol from under his bed and went into the bathroom. He said he fired into the locked door of the toilet, which adjoined the bathroom, in a blind panic in the mistaken belief the intruder was lurking inside.
Police pulled their lead detective off the case on Thursday after it was revealed he himself faces attempted murder charges for shooting at a minibus. He has been replaced by South Africa's top detective.
Pistorius' family released an official statement following the courts decision to grant Pistorius bail, and postpone the trial until June 4.
"We are grateful that the Magistrate recognised the validity and strength of our application," the statement read. "As the family, we are convinced that Oscar's version of what happened on that terrible night will prove to be true."
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