Sunday February 24, 2013

Pistorius brother 'faces trial over fatal car crash'

JOHANNESBURG: The older brother of South African star athlete Oscar Pistorius, himself accused of murdering his girlfriend, has been charged with culpable homicide over a car accident in 2010, local media reported on Sunday.

Carl Pistorius, 28, allegedly killed a woman motorcyclist while driving outside Johannesburg, the eNews Africa television channel reported, citing his lawyer Kenny Oldwage.

His trial had been due to start last Thursday, a day before his famous brother, an Olympic and Paralympic hero, was granted bail on a charge of premeditated murder over the Valentine's Day killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. But Carl Pistorius's trial was pushed back a month, although the specific date is not known.

He had no alcohol in his blood at the time of the accident, according to tests then, the television channel reported. Oldwage, who also represents Oscar Pistorius, was not immediately reachable for comment.

The family's public relations managers said they would issue a statement later on Sunday.

Oscar Pistorius, the 26-year-old double amputee athlete known as "Blade Runner", was released on one million rand ($112,770) bail on Friday. He is due back in court on June 4.

He says the shooting of his 29-year-old girlfriend, a law graduate and cover girl who he had been dating since late last year, was an accident and that he mistook her for a burglar.

Carl Pistorius was a constant presence in court last week to support his brother during the four-day bail hearing in Pretoria, along with his sister Aimee and father Henke.

When Oscar broke down crying in the dock, Carl would lean forward and put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

Relatives of the slain model have lashed out at the Pistorius family, with her uncle Michael criticising them for failing to contacting the Steenkamp family after the shooting.

"They have not offered their condolences, nor made a simple phone call to us," he told the City Press newspaper on Sunday, although the Pistorius family did send a bouquet of flowers and a card.

Meanwhile, City Press said a substance found in Pistorius's luxury Pretoria home during a police search was a herbal sexual stimulant that can be sold without prescription.

The prosecution had said during Pistorius's bail hearing that police had found two boxes of "testosterone" and needles in his Pretoria home, but the defence countered that it was a legal herbal remedy known as testocompasutium coenzyme. City Press said the remedy was a combination of vitamins, herbal cures partly derived from animal organs.

Sports physician Jon Patricios told the paper the product is used to boost sexual energy, but that athletes are not advised to use it since it may increase their testosterone levels.

"This is not an anabolic steroid and it is unlikely it will lead to irrational anger," he said. The National Prosecuting Authority has said it was awaiting the results of forensic tests to determine what the product is.

The International Paralympic Committee said the athlete - who became a hero as the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics last year - was tested twice during the London Paralympics in 2012 and tested negative.

South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper also said a new investigation team had visited Pistorius's house on Friday and would investigate his apparent links with a network that used recreational drugs.

City Press also said the Steenkamp family has hired a private eye to follow the probe into her killing, quoting the investigator Lance Epstein.

Carl Pistorius holds a computer science degree at the University of London and another in accounting at Pretoria University, according to his Facebook page.

His last known job was at an events company, which he left in 2010. -AFP