South African paralympian charged with murder after 'he accidentally shot dead his model girlfriend at his luxury home when he mistook her for an intruder'

 

South African paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has been charged with murder and is in custody after reportedly shooting his girlfriend dead in the middle of the night after mistaking her for a burglar.

It happened at 4am this morning and the woman may have been killed after a Valentine's Day surprise went tragically wrong at his mansion in Pretoria.
The dead woman is Reeva Steenkamp, 30, a former FHM model who has been dating Mr Pistorius, 26, for two months.
She was shot in the head, the chest and the arm, police in the country have said, and Mr Pistorius will appear in court later today.

'We have opened a case of murder', Pretoria police spokesman Katlego Mogale said, adding they will be opposing bail.
Just yesterday Miss Steenkamp spoke excitedly on Twitter about her plans for Valentine's Day.

She said: 'What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay'

Replying to a follower, she later added: 'That sounds amazing! Wow that's what it's all about! It should be a day of love for everyone :) may it be blessed!'

The Johannesburg athlete, who was born without fibulas in his legs and had the limbs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, had to win a legal battle over his blades with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 2008 for the right to compete in able-bodied competition.

He was the first double amputee to run in the able-bodied Olympics and reached the 400 semi-finals in London 2012.