A South African magistrate is
set to rule on whether Oscar
Pistorius, accused of murdering
his girlfriend, should be freed
on bail.
The Paralympic sprinter denies
murder, saying he shot Reeva
Steenkamp thinking she was an
intruder at his home.
The prosecution argues there is
a risk Mr Pistorius, 26, may
abscond and bail should be
refused.
After the final arguments,
magistrate Desmond Nair said he
would announce his decision at
about 2:30pm (12:30GMT).
Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was a
model and law graduate with a
burgeoning television career.
Intent?
In his closing argument, lead
prosecutor Gerrie Nel said that
Oscar Pistorius's version of
events was "improbable" and
there was a clear risk he would
flee if granted bail.
He said the athlete's statement to
the court suggested he thought
"I've done nothing wrong" as
there was no admission of
culpable homicide.
Oscar Pistorius knows he is
"almost guaranteed" to serve a
long term in prison, and he
should not be treated differently
because he is famous or because
he has a disability, the
prosecutor added.
"He fired four shots, not one
shot," Mr Nel said.
"The only reason you fire four
shots is to kill. On his own
version, he is bound to be
convicted."
In response, lead defence lawyer
Barry Roux reiterated that Mr
Pistorius had no intent to kill Ms
Steenkamp: he fired at what he
thought was a burglar.
"He did not want to kill Reeva. He
had no intent to kill Reeva," Mr
Roux said
If anything, his client should be
charged with culpable homicide,
not premeditated murder, the
lawyer argued.
"All the factors are present to
show that he is not a flight risk,"
Mr Roux said, adding that the
athlete's prosthetic limbs meant
he could not go unnoticed
through airport security.
Oscar Pistorius hopes to resume
training next week if he is
granted bail, his coach Ampie
Louw said as he arrived at court.
If denied bail, he could face
months in prison before a full
trial begins later this year.
Prosecutors say Mr Pistorius fired
four shots through a locked toilet
door as Ms Steenkamp cowered
on the other side. She was hit in
the head, arm and hip.
Mr Pistorius admits firing the
shots, but says he was acting in
self-defence against what he
thought was an intruder.
Flight risk?
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said Mr
Pistorius had the "money, means
and motive," to abscond abroad
if he was given bail.
But defence lawyer Barry Roux
said Mr Pistorius's prosthetic
limbs would make it difficult to
escape the country, as they could
not go through airport security
unnoticed and required regular
maintenance.
``Let me tell you how difficult it is
for this man to disappear from
this world,'' Mr Roux said.
Because of the seriousness of
the charges, Mr Pistorius's
defence team have to prove
there is an "exceptional" reason
for him to be freed on bail.
Detective replaced
Reeva Steenkamp in an undated
photo
Reeva Steenkamp's family say
they want the truth
On Thursday, police replaced
their lead detective in the case,
Hilton Botha, after it emerged he
faced attempted murder charges.
South Africa's most senior
detective, Lt Gen Vineshkumar
Moonoo, will now take charge of
the investigation.
Det Botha is expected to appear
in court in May in connection
with a 2009 incident in which he
and other officers opened fire on
a minibus taxi whose driver
apparently disobeyed an order to
stop.
He has not been suspended and
could remain a potential witness
in any trial of Mr Pistorius.

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