TRANSCRIPT
REPORTER: Oscar Pistorius was in a Pretoria court for the start of his bail hearing. His face, unobscured for the first time in days. He reportedly wept uncontrollably as prosecutors detailed the shooting death of Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius' defense attorney told the court the two, who had been dating since November, "were deeply in love." He went on to say that the 26-year-old Paralympic star had had death threats and break-ins, and that Pistorius slept with a 9-mm pistol under his bed. Pistorius' account of the evening in question went like this: he had woken up in the middle of the night and thought an intruder had climbed through a window into his bathroom. Without putting on his prosthetic legs, he moved on his stumps to the bathroom where he shouted for the intruder to get out of his house before firing several shots into the door. He then called for his girlfriend to phone the police, and was "mortified" to discover Steenkamp slumped over in the bathroom. Prosecutors said they will need to hear more from the blade runner about why he shouldn't be jailed ahead of his trial. Prosecutor Medupe Simasiku ...
MEDUPE SIMASIKU: "It is not about whether we oppose (bail) or not. But for Pistorius to give enough information or (proof of) exceptional circumstances to show why he needs to be granted that bail. And it is for the court to decide".
REPORTER: Pistorius, who is accused of pre-meditated murder, denies the charges and has offered to hand over his passport ahead of his trial. His bail hearing is expected to continue for the next few days.
