Oscar Pistorius faces murder charge in court

Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was arrested by police after a woman believed to be his girlfriend was found shot dead

16:16 14 February 2013

PUBLISHED 14:12 14 February 2013 Updated 14 February

Sprinter Oscar Pistorius, also known as ‘Blade Runner’, is due in court on Friday after being arrested by South African police following a shooting. The athlete was reportedly charged with the murder of his supposed girlfriend, after a woman was found dead near to Pretoria.

A spokesperson for the police did not confirm who the arrested man was, but said that: “I can confirm that a woman has been fatally wounded in a shooting at Oscar Pistorius'house.”

They added: "A 26-year-old man has been taken into custody."

Based on reports, the woman, who is named as 30-year-old Reeva Steenkamp, suffered fatal gun shots to the head and upper body.

Some reports state that Mr. Pistorious, who was originally due in court on Thursday, 14th February, allegedly mistook a woman for an intruder.

Mr. Pistorius became the first athlete to take part in the Olympics as a double amputee. The paralympian, who has prosthetic legs, had his legs amputated below the knee after being born with problems concerning his legs.

He became widely recognised during the London 2012 Paralympics and is the world record holder for both the 200metre and 400metre events in the T44 category.