Friday 15 February 2013

UPDATE: Blade Runner in the dock: Oscar Pistorius holds his head in his hands as he is formally charged with murdering his model girlfriend who 'was shot four times through bathroom door' at his home...



Too much to bear: Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius weeps in the dock as he is formally charged with the murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at Pretoria Magistrates' Court this morning
Too much to bear: Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius weeps in the dock as he is formally charged with the murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at Pretoria Magistrates' Court this morning...

Hello Friends!

Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius broke down in tears in court today as he was formally charged with the murder of his model girlfriend.

The Paralympic superstar held his head in his hands as one count of murder was read out to him in Pretoria Magistrates' Court this morning.

He did not enter a plea to the charge that he killed FHM cover girl Reeva Steenkamp, 29, in the early hours of Valentine's Day, but his family and management company later said he disputed the allegation 'in the strongest terms'.

Prosecutors told the court they would argue it was pre-meditated murder, a more serious charge than murder which carries a mandatory life sentence.

Overcome with emotion, Pistorius was comforted by his father, brother and sister as gasps were heard throughout the packed courtroom.
The hearing came as a picture emerged of the weapon, believed to be a 9amm pistol, allegedly used in the killing. It was seen in a clear plastic bag being carried by a police officer.

According to media reports in South Africa this morning, security guards at the complex found Pistorius by Steenkamp's body in the bathroom after she had been shot four times through the door.

Charged: The 26-year-old is accused of killing of FHM cover girl Reeva Steenkamp, 29, whose name was officially revealed for the first time at the hearing, in the early hours of Valentine's Day
Charged: The 26-year-old is accused of killing of FHM cover girl Reeva Steenkamp, 29, whose name was officially revealed for the first time at the hearing, in the early hours of Valentine's Day

Overcome with emotion: The double amputee bows his head in his hands after prosecutors tell the court they may upgrade the charge to pre-meditated murder, an offence that carries a mandatory life term
Overcome with emotion: The double amputee bows his head in his hands after prosecutors tell the court they may upgrade the charge to pre-meditated murder, an offence that carries a mandatory life term...

Support: Pistorius's father, Henke, reaches out to his son after his emotional court appearance
Support: Pistorius's father, Henke, reaches out to his son after his emotional court appearance

More than 100 people packed into Courtroom C, including dozens of photographers and videographers. 

Pistorius's father Henke, brother Carl and sister Aimee gathered in court to support the athlete who arrived dressed in a grey suit and blue tie.
The celebrated runner began sobbing, covering his face with his hands, as the charge against him was read out.

Chief magistrate Desmond Nair told him: 'Take it easy. Come take a seat.'

The hearing came after a two-hour delay while Pistorius's lawyers objected to the scrum of local and international reporters packed into the courtroom.
Pistorius said nothing during the 40-minute hearing. Henke and Carl Pistorius sat directly behind him, occasionally leaning forward to give him a pat on the shoulder.
In despair: Pistorius's defence lawyer said the Paralympian is in a 'traumatised state of mind'
In despair: Pistorius's defence lawyer said the Paralympian is in a 'traumatized state of mind'

Accused: Pistorius is escorted by police into the dock during his court appearance in Pretoria
Accused: Pistorius is escorted by police into the dock during his court appearance in Pretoria

Worldwide attention: The hearing came after a two-hour delay while Pistorius's lawyers objected to the scrum of reporters that packed into the courtroom
Worldwide attention: The hearing came after a two-hour delay while Pistorius's lawyers objected to the scrum of reporters that packed into the courtroom...

EXCLUSIVE: Is it already over? Chris Brown and Rihanna 'ignore each other and refuse to sit together' at Hollywood club...



Is it on or off? Chris Brown and Rihanna arrived separately at the Playhouse Nightclub on Wednesday in Los Angeles. The on-again off-again couple ignored each other all night, a source exclusively told MailOnlineIs it on or off? Chris Brown and Rihanna arrived separately at the Playhouse Nightclub on Wednesday in Los Angeles. The on-again off-again couple ignored each other all night, a source exclusively told MailOnline
Is it on or off? Chris Brown and Rihanna arrive separately at the Playhouse Nightclub on Wednesday in Los Angeles; the on-again off-again couple ignored each other all night, a source exclusively told MailOnline...

Hello Friends!

At the Grammys on Sunday they couldn't have looked happier.
But just days later Chris Brown and Rihanna's romance appears to have soured.

A source told MailOnline exclusively that the couple refused to acknowledge one another after both arriving at the Playhouse Nightclub in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

Stay away: Rihanna spent the whole night on the opposite side of the room to Chris
Stay away: Rihanna spent the whole night on the opposite side of the room to Chris...

Wassup? Chris doesn't look fazed that his purported girlfriend is ignoring him while she parties on the other side of the room
Wassup? Chris doesn't look fazed that his purported girlfriend is ignoring him while she parties on the other side of the room 

Rihanna didn't know that Chris was expected at the same event, revealed the source. 
When VIP hosts asked the Barbadian pop star if she would like to be seated with her boyfriend, she declined and demanded to be put somewhere else.

'Rihanna refused to sit with or even near Chris – and when Chris noticed she was there, he made a huge show of rubbing his presence in her face,' said the source.

How romantic! Rihanna tweeted a picture of what appeared to be a marijuana plant she received for Valentine's Day on Thursday
How romantic! Rihanna tweeted a picture of what appeared to be a marijuana plant she received for Valentine's Day on Thursday

'He promptly ordered three more bottles of ace of spades which came out with in a procession of sparklers and scantily clad cocktail waitresses, causing a spectacle, which he clearly wanted Rihanna to see.'
The music superstars had arrived separately at the Popular Demand’s 1 Year Anniversary event, and left without each other at the end of the night.

It's me and my crew: Chris arrived separately from Rihanna, bringing with him an entourage of around 20 people
It's me and my crew: Chris arrived separately from Rihanna, bringing with him an entourage of around 20 people...

Hide me: Rihanna was surrounded by bodyguards as she entered the club without her on-again off-again paramour Chris
Hide me: Rihanna was surrounded by bodyguards as she entered the club without her on-again off-again paramour Chris 

Chris arrived at the celebrity hotspot around midnight, armed with a crew of around 20 people. 
Rihanna entered the club half an hour later, accompanied by her group of bodyguards. 

The singers never once communicated with each other during the course of the evening as they sat across the room from one another, said the source.
Chris left the club around 2.15am in a metallic grey Lamborghini, wearing his hoodie over his baseball cap. 

Rihanna made it a late night, leaving closer to 3am.

Incognito: The pop star tried to hide her face with unruly hair and sunglasses, but there was no mistaking that famous profile
Incognito: The pop star tried to hide her face with unruly hair and sunglasses, but there was no mistaking that famous profile...

Hell on wheels: The rapper made sure he arrived and exited the club in style as he steered a metallic grey Lamborghini
Hell on wheels: The rapper made sure he arrived and exited the club in style as he steered a metallic grey Lamborghini 

The chilly atmosphere between the stars is a far cry from their loved-up appearance as they sat side by side in the front row at the Grammys.

Then the two snuggled up to each other, smiling and laughing together as they took in the show.
Rihanna also wore a diamond ring on her left ring finger during her performance onstage, fueling speculation that the pair plan to tie the knot. 

But their reconciliation has not been without drama.

Rihanna's former best friend Katy Perry has reportedly stopped speaking to her following her reconciliation with Brown, who is still on probation for beating her in 2009.

Happy days: The couple were snapped looking loved-up as they sat in the front row at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Happy days: The couple were snapped looking loved-up as they sat in the front row at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

Engaged? Rihanna sported what looked like an engagement ring during her performance onstage on Sunday at the Grammy Awards
Engaged? Rihanna sported what looked like an engagement ring during her performance onstage on Sunday at the Grammy Awards...

Culled from The Daily Mail UK...

xoxo
Simply Cheska...

UPDATE: GOLDIE IS DEAD-Report From President, Kennis Music, Keke Ogungbe...


The Late Goldie Harvey...

Hello Friends!

"On behalf of Kennis Music, I'm sad to officially confirm the shocking and untimely passage of Nigeria's pop star, Goldie Harvey. 

With a deep sense of loss, we announce the shocking death of our darling music star, Goldie Harvey. Goldie, 31, died on Thursday after she complained of a severe headache at her Park View residence shortly after her arrival from the United States where she went to witness the Grammy Award. 

She was rushed to her official hospital, Reddington, Victoria Island, Lagos, where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival. 

We consider this period a gloomy moment for us and the entire Nigerian music industry in view of the circumstance Goldie passed away, the abundance of talent she has exhibited in her but eventful music career and the various opportunities her trip to the United States of America would have availed her. 

She is survived by her father, step- mother, brothers and sisters. 

We deeply sympathise with her family and fans all over the world and very grateful to all and sundry, especially, the vibrant Nigerian media for their concern and prompt reportage. 

We shall keep everybody informed as events unfold as we are still devastated by the sudden loss." Meanwhile, the remains of Goldie, who hails from Ekiti State has been deposited in the mortuary of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos. Goldie represented Nigeria at the Big Brother Star Game in 2012.

Her latest effort, she described as three nawti singles from her forthcoming African Invasion album are “Skibo”. "Miliki" and " Got To Have It," are presently enjoying heavy rotations on radio and TV stations across the continent. 

Burial arrangements will be announced by the family. 

May her soul rest in peace.

Adieu Goldie!!!!

xoxo
Simply Cheska...

I was abused as a teenager on the director's casting couch, reveals Hollywood star Thandie Newton...


Speaking out: Thandie Newton, 40, revealed how she was abused as an aspiring actress at the age of only 16
Speaking out: Thandie Newton, 40, revealed how she was abused as an aspiring actress at the age of only 16

Hello Friends!

Thandie Newton has told how she was abused as a teenage actress on a casting couch.
The 40-year-old British star said she was still scarred by a ‘horrific’ incident involving an unnamed male director when she was 18 and looking for her ‘big break’.

Miss Newton, now a mother of two and married to the film producer Oliver Parker, said she later found out the director involved had shown a video of her ordeal to others in showbusiness.
The Cambridge-educated actress, who has starred in films including Crash and Mission: Impossible II, has chosen to speak out about her abuse as part of an international campaign to end violence against women, One Billion Rising – the number who have been raped, beaten or abused.

Speaking to CNN International journalist Max Foster, she said: 'When I was a 16 year old fresh from boarding school going out in, you know the casting couch, I was definitely objectified to an extreme.

'The way I was made to feel. The way I was exploited and the kind of role and the kinds of things I was expected to do in auditions.’Foster asked: ‘So you were abused as a 16-year-old?’ Miss Newton replied: ‘Yes.’

She goes on to explain, however, that at the time she didn’t know how to react because it was conducted in what she describes as a ‘professional environment’. 
Referring to the incident that happened when she was 18, she continued: ‘It was a screen test.

‘There were two other people in the room – the director and the casting director, who was a woman.

Thandie NewtonThandie Newton
Campaign: The actress has chosen to speak out about her abuse as part of an international campaign to end violence against women, One Billion Rising...

Star: Miss Newton has starred in a number of Hollywood films, including Crash, W and Mission: Impossible II (above alongside Tom Cruise)
Star: Miss Newton has starred in a number of Hollywood films, including Crash, W and Mission: Impossible II (above alongside Tom Cruise)

‘The director asked me to sit with my legs apart – the camera was positioned where it could see up my skirt – to put my leg over the arm of the chair.

‘Before I started my dialogue, [I was told to] think about the character I was supposed to be having the dialogue with and how it felt to be made love to by this person.’

Humiliation: She revealed that she was humiliated aged 18 in front of a director and a casting director, as they filmed up her skirt during a screen test Humiliation: She revealed that she was humiliated aged 18 in front of a director and a casting director, as they filmed up her skirt during a screen test...
She was confused because it was a ‘professional environment’.
‘I was thinking “this is so strange, why would I need to do that?”’ she said. ‘But this is the director, there is the casting director, [it] must be normal.

‘I’m 18 years old, you know, and I’m thinking this is, obviously... I was in a protected... there were boundaries.’
Three years later, she discovered the video was being shown by the director to other show business figures.

‘It turned out the director... used to show that video late at night to interested parties at his house – a video of me touching myself with a camera up my skirt,’ she said.

Miss Newton declined to name the director or say if she knew whether he was still in the business.

Now married to producer Oliver Parker, she said the coupl were accosted by a drunken British producer at a party in Cannes several years later who boasted of having been shown a video of her ordeal.

Thursday 14 February 2013

Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell charged with child sex offences...


Charged: Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has been charged with child sex offences
Charged: Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has been charged with child sex offences...

Hello Friends!


Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell has been charged with 19 child sex offences, including raping a child and sexual activity with a child.
Le Vell, 48, who plays mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV1 soap, was originally arrested and questioned in September 2011 over child sex allegations, but no charges were brought.

But Greater Manchester Police confirmed late last night that Le Vell, real name Michael Turner, will appear in court in two weeks time.
The charges relate to offences between 2001 and 2010, police said.

They were brought against the popular actor, who lives in Hale, Cheshire, after a review of evidence by the Crown Prosecution Service.
A police spokesman said last night: 'A man has been charged with 19 child sex offences.

'Michael Turner has been charged with 19 offences including raping a child, indecently assaulting a child and sexual activity with a child.
'He is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates on Wednesday February 27.

'The charges, which were authorised by the CPS following a review of evidence, relate to offences against a child between 2001 and 2010.'

Alison Levitt, QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, had reviewed a file of evidence in relation to allegations of sexual offences and looked again at a decision previously made not to prosecute.

Ms Levitt said: 'I have very carefully reviewed the evidence in this case and I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Michael Robert Turner with a number of sexual offences.
'I have authorised Greater Manchester Police to charge Mr Turner with 19 offences, including rape of a child.

'Mr Turner has now been charged with criminal offences and has a right to a fair trial.
'As proceedings are now active, it would be inappropriate to say anything further at this stage.'

Stalwart: Michael Le Vell, real name Michael Turner, has been in the ITV soap since 1983
Stalwart: Michael Le Vell, real name Michael Turner, has been in the ITV soap since 1983

Le Vell, a father of two and originally from Manchester, is one of the shows most famous faces, with fans gripped by his tumultuous on and off relationship with on-screen wife Sally, played by Sally Dynevor.

His acting career began in the Oldham Theatre Workshop after he became interested in amateur dramatics at school. His big break came when he won the part of Kevin Webster after auditioning following another role on the soap, as Neil Grimshaw, a newspaper delivery boy who worked at The Kabin.

He first appeared as Webster in the soap on October 19 1983, moving in with Hilda Ogden as her lodger and getting a job as an apprentice mechanic with Brian Tilsley. 

Le Vell has featured in some of Coronation Street's most explosive storylines, most recently Webster's affair with Molly Dobbs.
The actor split from his wife Janette Beverley last year.

Culled from The Daily Mail UK.

xoxo
Simply Cheska...


UPDATE: Screams, shouts... then four shots: Pistorius charged with murdering his model lover after gun horror at 4am ...



Last photo: Oscar Pistorius and girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp pose for a picture in Johannesburg last Thursday. He has been charged with shooting her dead in the early hours of the morning
Last photo: Oscar Pistorius and girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp pose for a picture in Johannesburg last Thursday. He has been charged with shooting her dead in the early hours of the morning.

Hello Friends!

The dark and complex life of ‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius emerged yesterday as he was charged with the Valentine’s Day murder of his model girlfriend.

The 26-year-old double amputee is accused of shooting model Reeva Steenkamp, a 30-year-old law graduate, at his luxury home.

The pair had been called South Africa’s ‘golden couple’. The sensational arrest of the sporting icon – who in London became the first man to compete at both an Olympics and Paralympics – was greeted with disbelief and sadness around the world.

Ominous: The Paralympic sprinter posted this message on Twitter on November 27
Ominous: The Paralympic sprinter posted this message on Twitter on November 27

Miss Steenkamp, who had been dating the athlete for three months, was shot four times – in the head and hand – early yesterday at his home in a gated community on the outskirts of Pretoria.
Police said neighbours had earlier heard ‘screaming and shouting’, and revealed that officers had previously been called to the house over domestic incidents.

Now a spotlight has been cast on Pistorius’s fits of temper, his obsession with guns and a tangled love life.Last night, detectives were said to be investigating Pistorius’s links with other women to see whether they have any bearing on the murder of one of South Africa’s premier models, who for two years had been voted among the world’s 100 Sexiest Women.

His text and voice messages were being examined to establish whether other women had left Valentine Day messages that could have led to a row.

Ominously, the Paralympic superstar had tweeted how he went into 'full combat recon mode' after mistaking his washing machine for an intruder, less than three months before his girlfriend was shot dead in the middle of the night.

Charged: Oscar Pistorius, his head lowered and face covered, leaves the Boschkop police station in Pretoria for a blood test at hospital prior to being taken to court
Charged: Oscar Pistorius, his head lowered and face covered, leaves the Boschkop police station in Pretoria for a blood test at hospital prior to being taken to court...

Incident: Oscar Pistorius is believed to have shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 30, a former FHM model, pictured together on January 26 in Johannesburg
Incident: Oscar Pistorius is believed to have shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 30, a former FHM model, pictured together on 

January 26 in Johannesburg

Star: Oscar Pistorius has reportedly been arrested this morning having shot his girlfriend in the head and arm, killing her
Star: Oscar Pistorius has reportedly been arrested this morning having shot his girlfriend in the head and arm, killing her

In a message posted on Twitter on November 27 last year Pistorius wrote: 'Nothing like getting home to hear the washing machine on and thinking its an intruder to go into full combat recon mode into the pantry!'
The athlete may have killed his girlfriend with a handgun kept next to his bed after a Valentine's Day surprise went tragically wrong and he thought she was a burglar, sources have said.

But police say her death is being treated as murder, adding that officers had been sent to previous incidents of a 'domestic nature' at his address on the exclusive Silver Woods gated estate.
Brigadier Denise Beukes said neighbours were woken by 'screaming and shouting' at the time of the shooting and police were 'very surprised' by the intruder suggestion, telling reporters: 'These allegations did not come from us.'

She said there is no other suspect involved and added: 'There are witnesses and there have also been interviews... we are talking about neighbours and people that heard things that happened earlier in the evening and when the shooting took place.'

Beauty: A modelling photo used in Reeva Steenkamp's portfolio. Mr Taylor said that she ¿touched many lives and was headed for stardom'
Beauty: A modelling photo used in Reeva Steenkamp's portfolio. Mr Taylor said that she ¿touched many lives and was headed for stardom'

Pistorius is in custody and was due in court this afternoon but the hearing has now been delayed to 7am (GMT) tomorrow to allow forensics more time to work in his home.
He was arrested as a forensic team searched the property.

A 9mm pistol believed to have been owned by the atheleteand kept by his bed was recovered.
His head bent forward and covered by a grey hood, he was seen briefly as he left a police station to be taken to a cell after he had been questioned and subject to forensics tests.
Any application for bail would be opposed said Medupe Simasiku, a spokesman for the prosecution.

A lawyer who visited him said he was 'very well' but emotional.
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!'
Last weekend she reacted to the shocking death of Anene Booysen on February 1, a 17-year-old gang-raped, murdered and mutilated at a construction site in Bredasdorp, a rural town close to Cape Town.

Next to a stark cartoon image of a woman screaming with a hand over her mouth she wrote on her Instagram account: 'I woke up in a happy safe home this morning. Not everyone did. Speak out against the rape of individuals in SA. RIP Anene Booysen. #rape #crime #sayNO.

The 30-year-old was due to speak at a local university today about the empowerment of women.

Couple: Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp had been dating for a few months after meeting at a South African awards ceremony
Couple: Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp had been dating for a few months after meeting at a South African awards ceremony...

Tweet
Message: Reeva yesterday went on to Twitter to say how excited she was about Valentine's Day
Message: Reeva on Wednesday, went on to Twitter to say how excited she was about Valentine's Day

Pistorius, 26, is widely known as the Blade Runner, and has also been dubbed 'the fastest man on no legs'.

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. Pistorius's father Henke said this afternoon his son was 'sad' and a 'bit emotional', adding: 'I don't know nothing. It will be extremely obnoxious and rude to speculate. I don't know the facts.
'If anyone makes a statement, it will have to be Oscar. He's sad at the moment.

'We all pray for guidance and strength for Oscar and the lady's parents.' 
His agent Peet van Zyl is heading to Pretoria to speak to his client. 

'I hope I can have access to him at the police station,' he said. 
'Oscar is a humble person and a lovely guy – I’m sure what’s happened has been a terrible mistake but I really don’t have the details at the moment.'

Model: Reeva Steenkamp had been seeing Oscar since November but had forged her own successful career in South Africa
Model: Reeva Steenkamp had been seeing Oscar since November but had forged her own successful career in South Africa
ReevaReeva
Famous: The 30-year-old has 3,000 followers on Twitter and is a law graduate from Port Elizabeth, South Africa...

Last appearance: Reeva Steenkamp was photographed at the Virgin Active Sports Industry Awards in Johannesburg a week agoLast appearance: Reeva Steenkamp was photographed at the Virgin Active Sports Industry Awards in Johannesburg a week ago
Last appearance: Reeva Steenkamp was photographed at the Virgin Active Sports Industry Awards in Johannesburg a week ago (left) and was often showing her own snaps on Twitter 

Pistorius' former coach, Andrea Gianni, said he hopes it was 'just a tragic accident.'
'No matter how bad the situation was, Oscar always stayed calm and positive. Whenever he was tired or nervous he was still extremely nice to people. I never saw him violent,' he said.

Arnu Fourie, Pistorius's roommate during London 2012 said today: 'My heart is broken for Oscar'.'I feel for Oscar and the girl's family, I pray for him and her family, I can not imagine how they feel. 'Poor Oscar in his life had so many disappointments and tough times'.

Pretoria police would not confirm the man's identity until he appears in court, adding a 9mm pistol was recovered from the scene and a case of murder is being investigated.

THE NATION WITH THE 2ND HIGHEST GUN CRIME RATE ON EARTH

Amaro
South Africa has some of the world's highest rates of violent crime and many homeowners carry weapons to defend themselves against intruders.
An average of nearly 50 people are murdered there each day, while there are also high levels of assault, rape, robbery and carjackings.
But a case last year was so vile the largely desensitised public of South Africa was still shocked.
Last summer a gang of robbers gunned down a father, raped and murdered his wife. Then, in a final act of sickening brutality, they drowned the couple’s 12-year-old son in scalding bath water.
Amaro Viana (pictured) was murdered in Walkerville, a suburb of Johannesburg, to prevent him from identifying the three housebreakers who carried out the raid.
According to United Nations research, South Africa has one of the highest firearm-related homicide rates in the world, second only to Colombia.
The rate, which was measured per 100,000 people, put the country's score four times higher than the United States.
According to statistics 12.7 in every 100 people in South Africa own a gun and it is estimated there are almost six million civilian firearms.
In the UK during an average year there might be 600 murders, but in South Africa this would be more than 18,000. On top of this there are also 18,000 attempted murders each year.
As a result of these high levels of violent crime, many people choose to live in gated communities and employ private security guards.
These are especially common for middle class residents and often involve high perimeter fencing and alarm systems linked to security teams.
The South African Police Service also often employs security companies to protect their own police stations, with the private security industry estimated to be worth 14 billion South African rand (£1 billion).
Fear of crime is high, with the Institute for Security Studies estimating that 50 per cent of people in Pretoria feel 'very unsafe' walking in their area at nigh
Officers are still busy with preliminary investigations at the scene, and statements are being taken from neighbours on the luxury Silver Woods estate.

Police say the couple were the only people in the home at the time, there was no sign of forced entry and said the claim that Pistorius had thought his girlfriend was an intruder had not come from them.

Outside his home, Miss Steenkamp's friend Mashadi Motsogi broke down in tears.
The distressed model said she heard the news of Miss Steenkamp's death on Twitter.

'I have lost a friend,' she said, telling reporters that Miss Steenkamp's death in a secure complex did not make sense.'Look, security here is safe. We moved to this area for security reasons. It does not make sense to me that my friend was shot, mistaken for an intruder.'

Police said an application for bail by Pistorius's lawyer Kenny Oldwage would be opposed when he appears in court tomorrow.

Pistorius was taken to hospital this morning for a medical examination police said was a 'standard procedure'.

'They (hospital staff) test under the nails, they look for scratches, bruises, and blood is taken for alcohol and drug screening,' a spokesman said.

In 2009 Pistorius spent a night in police cells after a woman complained to police that he had assaulted her during a party at his house. 
The incident allegedly occurred at the same Silver Woods home as where Miss Steenkamp died. 
Although Pistorius was charged with assault, he was eventually released with a warning. 

At the time, police spokeswoman Sergeant Marinda Stoltz said the victim, whom Pistorius had told to leave, banged and kicked his front door. 
'He (Pistorius) told the girl ‘this is my house and my friends and you have to leave’. He then started closing the door when a wooden beam weighing about 1,5kg fell on her leg and injured her.' 

She said the girl reported the incident hours later. 'The girl then also admitted that she had been drinking,' said Stoltz.
Homes there are surrounded by a giant wall, with electric fences and armed guards who stop every vehicle leaving or entering to keep it secure in a country with high rates of violent crime.

Around 50 people every day are murdered in South Africa and it is common for people to keep weapons in their home.

Home: Neighbours of the athlete say they heard noise from the house (pictured today) just before the authorities arrived
Home: Neighbours of the athlete say they heard noise from the house (pictured today) just before the authorities arrived...

Location: Pistorius's home is inside a gated housing complex with a nature reserve, golf course and lots of green space, all within high walls
Location: Pistorius's home is inside a gated housing complex with a nature reserve, golf course and lots of green space, all within high walls...

Police: South African police vehicles enter the Siverwoods security estate in Pretoria East where famous South African paralympic and Olympic sprinter, Oscar Pistorius
Police: South African police vehicles enter the Silverwoods security estate in Pretoria East where famous South African paralympic and Olympic sprinter, Oscar Pistorius, allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp yesterday...

Investigation: Police spokeswoman Denise Beukes confirmed the celebrated athlete was in custody charged with murder
Investigation: Police spokeswoman Denise Beukes confirmed the celebrated athlete was in custody charged with murder

In an interview with the Mail before London 2012 it was revealed Pistorius slept with a pistol next to his bed, a machine gun by a window with a cricket bat and baseball bat behind the door.
'The problem is when the guards are in on the crime. It’s usually safe in guarded estates like this until that happens,’ he said.

In a later piece for the New York Times he took a reporter to the local shooting range to fire his 9mm handgun and two boxes of ammunition.
He admitted he would go shooting 'when I can’t sleep' and an online advertisement featuring him for Nike read: 'I am a bullet in the chamber,' which was pulled from his website today.

Pistorius also posted a photograph of himself at a shooting range in November 2011 to the social media website Twitter, bragging about his score tweeting: 'had a 96% headshot over 300m from 50shots! Bam!' he tweeted. 

Another tweet shows his concern about someone breaking into his home, on November 27 last year he wrote: 'Nothing like getting home to hear the washing machine on and thinking its an intruder to go into full combat recon mode into the pantry! waa'.

Advert: An image on Pistorius's website for his sponsor Nike linked to his love of shooting has been removed today
Advert: An image on Pistorius's website for his sponsor Nike, linked to his love of shooting, has been removed today...

Adverts for television coverage of the Oscars featuring Oscar Pistorius were seen being pulled down in Johannesburg today
Adverts for television coverage of the Oscars featuring Oscar Pistorius were seen being pulled down in Johannesburg today...

Workmen move quickly to replace the roadside posters in the South Africa city
Workmen move quickly to replace the roadside posters in the South Africa city

Miss Steenkamp, a law graduate from Port Elizabeth, gave an interview to the Sunday Times in South Africa last week where she described her boyfriend as 'an impeccable man who always her best interests at heart'.

On February 1, Steenkamp tweeted about Pistorius, saying: 'He certainly doesn't need more followers but he's beautiful to look at & says some smart stuff too ;).'
On her Facebook and Twitter pages, she describes herself as an 'SA Model, FHM Cover Girl, Tropika Island of Treasure Celeb Contestant, Law Graduate, Ambassador'

Oscar Pistorius' sister, Aimee, left, leaves the Mamelodi Hospital, east of Pretoria where she visited her brother while he was being examined earlier today
Oscar Pistorius' sister, Aimee, left, leaves the Mamelodi Hospital, east of Pretoria where she visited her brother while he was being examined earlier today...

Her instagram site Miss Steenkamp's last entry four days ago showed a cartoon female face being hit by a hand, and was accompanied by: 'I woke up in a happy safe home this morning. Not everyone did. Speak out against the rape of individuals in SA. RIP Anene Booysen.'

Family members of South African Paralympic and Olympic sprinter, Oscar Pistorius embrace at Boschkop police station, where he is being held Family members of South African Paralympic and Olympic sprinter, Oscar Pistorius embrace at Boschkop police station, where he is being held...
A post on the same site two weeks ago shared a poster detailing the joys of finding love.
The poster read: 'It's beautiful when you find someone that is in love with your mind.

'Someone that wants to undress your conscience and make love to your thoughts.
'Someone that wants to watch you slowly take down all the walls you've built up around your mind and let them inside.'

This weekend, Steenkamp was set to star in South African reality television series Tropika Island Of Treasure, in which celebrities and ordinary people compete in remote, exotic locations in a variety of daily challenges.

On the show's website, a tribute to Steenkamp says: 'We are deeply saddened and extend our condolences to Reeva's family and friends.'

Sarit Tomlinson, Steenkamp’s publicist, told Sky News: ‘She was the sweetest human being and an absolute angel on earth. She was the kindest, most unbelievable girl. 

‘They had been together for a couple of months and it had been a healthy, fabulous relationship. At the moment it’s shocking. No-one knows what’s happened.
‘She was a rising star. There was so much in the pipeline for her: she was just about to explode into the media.

Incident: Oscar Pistorius with Reeva Steenkamp, 30, a former FHM model who is believed to have been shot dead todayFamous: Reeva Steenkamp worked primarily for Ice Model Management in Johannesburg, who expressed their distress at her death today
Incident: Oscar Pistorius is accused of murdering Reeva Steenkamp, 30, a high profilemodel, pictured together in November at an awards ceremony, and right, doing her job

‘She was a very talented, very bright young girl. It’s too shocking for words. We’ll miss her so much, too much. Our condolences go to her family.’

Friends and loved ones posted tributes onto her Facebook page within minutes of news of her death. Nicky Hiles said: 'Another young taken due to crime in South Africa', Dawn Walker said: 'Such a tragedy... RIP,' Kathleen Louise Nutman added: 'Gone two (sic) Soon RIP.’

Scene: Police were called to Oscar's home, pictured, at 4am where a 30-year-old woman was treated by paramedics but died there
Scene: Police were called to Oscar's home, pictured, at 4am where a 30-year-old woman was treated by paramedics but died there...

Death: Oscar Pistorius on his Pretoria at his house in Pretoria, where a woman believed to be his girlfriend was found shot dead today
Death: Oscar Pistorius on his Pretoria at his house in Pretoria, where a woman believed to be his girlfriend was found shot dead yesterday.

Grand: Mr Pistorius lives in a large farm in Pretoria, which is surrounded by high walls and armed guards
Grand: Mr Pistorius lives in a large farm in Pretoria, which is surrounded by high walls and armed guards...

The blade-runner has done more than any other athlete to put the Paralympics on the global map since he first won medals aged 17 in the Athens Games of 2004.
He was expected to take home a haul of paralympic golds at London 2012 but failed to deliver.

POLICE Pistorius copy.jpg
His first final was in the 200m, where he finished a shock second to Brazilian Alan Oliveira, and then accused rivals, including his young conqueror, of running on blades that were too long.

Then Pistorius had to settle for fourth place in the 100m individual event when the glory went to Britain’s new track icon, Jonnie Peacock.

But this defeat and the outburst were followed by a measure of redemption when Pistorius anchored his country’s 4 x 100m relay gold in a world record time.

Just three days ago, Pistorius tweeted about his excitement regarding his first race of 2013, accompanied by a photograph of him in action.

He said: '1 month till my first race of 2013.. Can't wait to burn it up!'

Perhaps due in part to his sudden financial and sporting success, Pistorius has a notoriously complex love life.  Prior to their split late last year, he spent a year and a half dating Cape Town marketing student Samantha Taylor. 

But even while he was with Miss Taylor, he was linked with numerous other women, including Russian model Anastassia Khozissova.

Family members of Oscar Pistorius were pictured outside the police station where he was being heldOscar Pistorius's brother was seen outside the police station in South Africa tonight
Family members of Oscar Pistorius, including his brother (right), were pictured outside the police station where he was being held...

Pistorius was first seen with Miss Steenkamp at an awards ceremony in South Africa last November. At the time, the FHM model said the pair were 'just friends'. 
But when it became clear that Pistorius and Steenkamp were in fact dating, the sportsman's then ex Samantha Taylor said: 'Oscar has such a way with women. She’s probably not the only one he’s got.”

Miss Taylor went on to tell South Africa's City Press newspaper that 'Oscar is certainly not what people think he is.'

Winner: Oscar Pistorius celebrates with his gold medal following the men's 400m win at London 2012
Winner: Oscar Pistorius celebrates with his gold medal following the men's 400m win at London 2012...

Icon: The athlete has done more than anyone to promote disabled sport and is one of the world's most famous athletes
Icon: The athlete has done more than anyone to promote disabled sport and is one of the world's most famous athletes...

Custody: Clothes hang out of prison cells at the Pretoria Central Prison, where Oscar Pistorius is allegedly being held before his court appearanceCustody: Clothes hang out of prison cells at the Pretoria Central Prison, where Oscar Pistorius is allegedly being held before his court appearance today...

PISTORIUS MANSION IS ON 'SAFEST ESTATE' IN SOUTH AFRICA

Silver Woods
The estate where South African athlete Oscar Pistorius is one of the country's best protected.
In 2009, Silver Woods Golf Estate (above) was voted 'the most secure estate in South Africa', according to its website.
Located in the east of the country's capital Pretoria, the estate consists of more than 1,600 plots of land up to 3,000 sq m (32,000 sq ft) built around an 18-hole golf course.
Offering a tranquil lifestyle 'unparalleled in the Pretoria region', it has electrified fences, armed 24-hour security guards and manned controlled access.
Prices for homes can be up to nine million South African rand (£650,000) for a five-bedroom property.
As well as its golf course, Silver Woods estate has tennis courts, a driving range, a restaurant, a squash club and a fishing club, as well as a 'social responsibility committee'.
The estate incorporates a wildlife reserve, and in recent years new lakes have been built and existing ones enlarged to turn the estate into a wildlife haven, inhabited by rare birds such as African spoonbills, mongooses and giant African bullfrogs.
A spokesman said today: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic circumstances that occurred today at Silver Woods. Our sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to Reeva Steenkamp’s family and friends'.

The 26-year-old sportsman has a history of risk taking and also, reportedly, of violence. 

In November last year, he reportedly 'threatened to break the legs' of the friend of a man whom he believed had slept with his then girlfriend, who is not Miss Steenkamp. 

According to newspaper reports, the sportsman approached South African football player Marc Batchelor in the VIP room of a horse racing track and verbally threatened him. 

South African journalist Kalay Maistry told Sky News: 'It is alleged that he thought his girlfriend, who’d come in to try to surprise him for Valentine's Day, was an intruder. It’s alleged that he shot her in the arm and head.

'I think what this actually highlights is the level of fear ordinary South Africans have.

'This is a man who has gone to bed, it’s an innocent surprise from a girlfriend … and the moment he thinks someone is trying to break in he grabs his gun.

'This has come as a complete surprise for a man who’s considered a national hero.'

On Pistorius's website, a quote from Lord Coe from before London 2012 describes him as a 'real inspiration to people around the world', and a spokesman from sports giant Nike describes time with Pistorius as 'some of the most inspirational time we've ever spent around an athlete'.

Lord Coe said: 'Oscar is an extraordinary athlete who has made a significant impact in international sport.

'It will be fantastic to see him compete in London this summer - spectators can expect a real treat!
'He's been a real inspiration to people around the world so we were thrilled when he decided to join our International Inspiration programme as an ambassador, helping us to inspire young people worldwide.'

Arturo Nunez, Nike emerging markets marketing director, said: 'Nike routinely works with the best athletes in the world, and Oscar Pistorius stands out on that list.

'Many world-class athletes visit Nike and amaze our community, but the two weeks that Oscar spent on campus last summer went down as some of the most inspirational time we've ever spent around an athlete.'

Many athletes have reacted to the news as the story unfolded.
Jessica Ennis spoke of her shock on Twitter, describing the 'the horrendous news' as 'an awful tragedy'.

Denise Lewis said: 'Not a good morning athletics fans - News reports on Oscar Pistorius are unbelievable.' Britain's Paralympic discus champions also went online to relay their shock.
Aled Davies tweeted 'Wow... Crazy news about Oscar... Devastating and speechless...' while Josie Pearson simply stated it was 'Tragic'.
Wheelchair racer Shelly Woods, silver medallist in the London 2012 Paralympic marathon, tweeted: 'Woke up to shocking news about Oscar Pistorius, very very sad...'

THE METEORIC RISE OF OSCAR PISTORIUS: 'THE FASTEST MAN ON NO LEGS'

Oscar
Oscar Pistorius was born 26 years ago into a prominent family in Pretoria without fibulas, the outer of the bones that run between the knee and the ankle.

His parents, Sheila and Henke, grappled with information, complied with doctors’ advice, and at 11 months, his legs were amputated below the knee.

‘It was a hugely emotional decision,’ said Dr Gerry Versfeld, the orthopaedic surgeon who performed the operation. 

‘It is easier now to convince somebody the right way to go is amputation because Oscar Pistorius is an icon you can point to and say, “Look, this is possible”.’

Much of his success is attributed to the fact he was always treated as a ‘normal little boy’.
By the time he arrived at Constantina Kloof Primary School aged five, Pistorius had been walking on his rigid glass fibre prosthetic legs for almost four years. Usually he ran. 

One of Pistorius’s first memories is hurtling down a hill on a go-kart with his brother, Carl, who then decided to use one of Oscar’s prostheses as an impromptu brake to stop them crashing.

‘My brother was like my hero when I was growing up,’ said Pistorius. ‘He’s a year and a bit older. We’re still very close. We stayed on a plot that was near an informal settlement, like a township, and we used to go and play football with the kids there and we used to have so much fun.  ‘We would build tree houses in the holiday and we had motorbikes on a track in our garden. It’s nice to have someone who pushes you to do things. You’re always trying to compete with him.
Oscar Pistorius was in high school when he showed up at Jannie Brooks’s garage gym in Pretoria, South Africa, with a group of friends looking to get fitter. 
He boxed, skipped and did press-ups until he threw up. It was six months before Brooks realised he had no legs. 

‘He was just one of the bunch, doing everything at the same pace as everybody else,’ he said.
‘Between the classroom and the fields there were two sets of stairs,’ said Tessa Shellard, who taught Pistorius maths and PE. ‘I used to cringe because he would always run down. I closed my eyes waiting for him to fall. But he never did.
‘His legs would chafe and give him enormous blisters on his stumps but he did rugby, cricket, football and absolutely everything else.

‘He wasn’t quick at all because of his heavy legs but in inter-house athletics, Oscar would do the sprints every year knowing full well he would come last.’

Oscar
At 13, Pistorius began boarding at Pretoria Boys School (above). ‘During the admissions interview I had concerns about how a legless boy would fare with the rough and tumble of a school of 1500 teenagers,’ said Bill Shroeder, headteacher of the school until 2009. ‘All his mother could say was, 

'Of course he’ll cope”. That was how she brought him up — to be completely normal.’
Pistorius went down in school folklore when, during a rugby match, a player from the opposite team tackled him. ‘His legs came off in the boy’s arms,’ said Shroeder. ‘But he carried on running over the line, I think the other kid still has nightmares.’

Pistorius threw himself into sport following his mother’s death when he was 15, but suffered a knee injury playing rugby in 2003. He did athletics as a form of rehab at the University of Pretoria. 

Less than a year later, he lit up the Athens Paralympics aged 17, winning gold in the 200m and bronze in the 100m in the T44 class, which also includes single below-the-knee amputees.

Pistorius, once voted South Africa’s sexiest celebrity now earns more than £1m a year in deals to promote everything from perfume to groceries and telecommunications.


Culled from The Daily Mail UK...

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