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 The Olympic and Paralympic athlete is on trial for the murder of
29-year old model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's
Day 2013. He has pleaded not guilty, saying he mistook Steenkamp for
an intruder.
Pistorius has been forced to sell his home in the upmarket Silver
Woods estate because the legal process is likely to take longer than
the three weeks initially indicated by the state, Brian Webber, the
lawyer handling the sale, said in a statement.
"It has become necessary to sell Mr. Pistorius' home in the Silver
Woods Country Estate in Pretoria in order for him to raise the
necessary funds to cover his increasing legal costs," Webber said.
"Mr. Pistorius has been funding his own defense from the outset. Due
to the delay in finalizing the trial, the decision to urgently
dispose of his single biggest asset, has had to be made."
Webber added that the property was handed back to the track star by
the authorities more than a year ago. Although a decision was taken
to keep it sealed until after the trial, Pistorius had been forced
to reconsider.
The track star, nicknamed the "Blade Runner", has not returned to
the house since Steenkamp's killing.
"Mr. Pistorius cannot contemplate ever returning to live there
again," Webber said.
Pistorius' lower legs were amputated as a baby but he went on to
achieve global fame as the "fastest man on no legs," running on
carbon-fiber prosthetic limbs to win gold medals at the Beijing and
London Paralympics.
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He also reached the 400 metres semi-finals at the London 2012
Olympics, competing against able-bodied athletes.
The trial, which began on March 3, was adjourned on Thursday and
Friday due to a national holiday on Friday in South Africa.
On Wednesday, the court heard that Steenkamp was first shot in the
hip, not the head, supporting the testimony of earlier witnesses who
said they heard screams during a volley of shots.
(Reporting by Tosin Sulaiman; editing by Angus MacSwan)
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