Oscar Pistorius’s house sold

The house in which the paralympian shot dead his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year was bought by Louwtjie Louwrens who planned to retire there with his family, The Times reported on Friday.

“It is in a safe area and everyone I dealt with was very professional,” he said.

The house was sold for R4.5 million. It had been on the market for months with no buyers. In 2011 when the house was on the market, it was initially priced at R6.5 million but it was not sold.

Earlier this year Pistorius’s lawyers announced that he wanted to sell the house to cover legal fees for his murder trial.

During his bail application he told the court the house was worth R5 million.

The paralympian is on trial for shooting dead Steenkamp. Pistorius claims he shot her by accident through the locked door of his toilet, thinking she was an intruder about to emerge and attack him.

The State contends he killed her during an argument.

Pistorius underwent a month-long psychiatric evaluation at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, after which the court heard he did not suffer from general anxiety disorder.

– Sapa