Track star, Oscar Pistorius, who has been detained in the killing of his girlfriend, model Reea Steenkamp, broke down crying in court when prosecutors announced the charges would be upgraded to premeditated murder. Steenkamp is believed to have surprised Pistorius at his home in Pretoria, South Africa, a nation struggling with violence, leading to her death, as Pistorius has stated he thought she was an intruder.
There are items working for and against the famous, multi-millionaire double amputee in this case. For example, as stated above, South Africa has been plagued by violence, leading to a gun culture in the country, as citizens have armed themselves for protection, especially the rich like Pistorius.
Oscar Pistorius crying in court, as charges are upgraded to "premeditated murder." The athlete denied the charges and sent his condolences to his girlfriend's family.
In November 2012, Pistorius wrote on Twitter that he returned to his home only to hear noises and as a result rushed for his gun, believing the sounds indicated an intruder. However, it was the clothes dryer. The incident can be used to establish there was precedent for Pistorius' believing his home was being broken into and reaching for his weapon.
While some will refer to it as paranoia, but when living in a nation with a high murder and burglary rate, this can become everyday life. People who live in nations or cities with serious crime problems know when you hear a rumbling in your house you cannot identify, it is cause for concern. One is not paranoid when the threat exists and is real, especially if one has been victim to it before, as seen in other cases.
Pistorius breaks down in court
It needs to be established whether Steenkamp had keys to Pistorius' property, as police indicated no signs of forced entry exist. If she had a key and was planning a big surprise for Pistorius, as has been stated online, she could have innocently let herself into his home on Valentine's Day, not realizing what it could turn into in being misidentified as an intruder and shot four times behind a bathroom door. That very well could have happened.
I've attended surprise parties before for friends, who did not know everyone had gathered to wish them the best on their birthday. So, I can't judge Steenkamp or Pistorius' actions in this regard if that is what occurred. That would be one tragic and very sad accident.
Reeva Steenkamp
One item working against Pistorius is claims by the police regarding having been called out to his mansion on previous occasions over "domestic violence" issues. This is not an indication of guilt in a murder case, but will prejudice a jury in the hands of a skillful prosecutor.
Another item that could work against him is the fact Pisotrious was arrested in 2009 for allegedly hitting a woman, who later dropped the charges. The issue, if successfully entered into the court record, will work against him as well and be labeled a pattern of violence against women. A shrewd prosecutor will know how to mold those police reports to create an impression the next step up would be "premeditated murder."
Reeve Steenkamp recently began filming a reality show in Jamaica
Where some believe this case was a tragic accident via a shooting that occurred due to mistaken identity, the police have labeled it "premeditated murder" due to something they have in their evidence files leading them to believe it is so.
Until more facts are released, this case could go either way. It is the Judiciary Report's hope all the facts will come out in this case and if this was truly a case of mistaken identity, in believing Steenkamp was planning a surprise, Pistorius will not face jail. If the police successfully prove this shooting was something else, justice must be served.
Pistorius' previous post last year revealed he had a fear of intruders and went for his gun when he thought someone had broken into his home in November 2012
Steenkamp was said to be planning a Valentines Day surprise for Pistorius
As the Judiciary Report has written in the past, public conduct will impact sponsorship deals (
The Positives And Perils Of Fame and
Lindsay Lohan Moves Back In With Her Mom But Now Their Home Has Been Hit With Foreclosure Papers). It is now being reported, sponsors are canceling Pistorius' endorsements.
Side Bar: I know some of my readers are gun owners, but as stated previously, I am not into them. So much can go wrong, as seen in this case. I'd previously written about gun violence and celebrities.
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Sponsors rethink links to Oscar Pistorius
February 14 - The sponsors that helped make Oscar Pistorius the highest-profile and highest-paid Paralympic athlete in the world are having to rethink their commitment to the sportsman after he was charged with murder Thursday. The disabled athlete, whose performances at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games made a national hero in South Africa, had links with Nike, sunglass manufacturer Oakley, perfume maker Thierry Mugler and running blade manufacturer Ossur. In total, his sponsorship deals were estimated to be worth about $4.7 million.
Already, the South African satellite TV channel M-Net has pulled its campaign promoting the forthcoming Oscar awards season. "Out of respect and sympathy to the bereaved, M-Net will be pulling its entire Oscar campaign featuring Oscar Pistorius with immediate effect," the channel said.
A Nike spokesperson said: "Nike extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to all families concerned following this tragic incident. As it is a police matter, Nike will not comment further at this time." British Telecom, another sponsor of Pistorius, said it was "shocked by this terrible, tragic news." On Thursday, BT was also shortlisted for an industry award for its sponsorship of Pistorius. No one at Oakley was available for comment...
