Oscar wanted to move to JHB
Oscar Pistorius put in an offer to buy a house in Johannesburg because he was "bowled over" by Reeva Steenkamp, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Monday.
FILE PICTURE: Paralympian Oscar Pistorius is seen at the high court in Pretoria on Monday, 7 April 2014. The athlete is on trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp whom he shot dead through a locked toilet door at his Pretoria home on Valentine’s Day last year. He claims he mistook her for an intruder. Picture: Deaan Vivier/Media24/Pool
The paralympian was testifying in his murder trial.
With a view to selling, he had decided to catch up on maintenance at his own home in the secure estate Silver Lakes in Pretoria where he had lived since 2008.
Steenkamp had been living with her friend Gina Myers’s family in Johannesburg when Pistorius shot her dead at a sleep-over at his house on Valentine’s Day last year.
When he moved into the Pretoria home in 2008, only 27 homes had been developed although 300 had been marked out.
There had been constant development on the estate and crimes associated with this.
A contractor walked through an open door and tied up a housekeeper and stole items from a house.
The building contractor working on his house, Mr Mendelow, had also been the victim of a crime when a ladder had been used to get into his home.
After two house-breakings, the estate decided to increase security.
Pistorius has since put his house in Pretoria on the market to help cover his legal costs.
Pistorius shot Steenkamp through the locked toilet door of his Pretoria home on February 14 last year.
He says he had mistaken her for an intruder. He has pleaded not guilty and in his plea statement denied he had argued with her shortly before the shooting.
He also faces two charges related to contravening the Firearms Control Act, to which he has denied guilt.
Steenkamp’s mother June was present in court with other family members and friends.
– Sapa
