Money paid to Steenkamp family was unconditionally – Roux

“The money was paid unconditionally, with no conditions attached,” Barry Roux, for Pistorius, said.

“Mr Pistorius does not want it back.”

He said the money was paid to the Steenkamps to use as they needed after they indicated that they were suffering financially after the death of their daughter.

Roux was responding to a statement from Steenkamp’s parents June and Barry through their lawyer Dup de Bruyn.

De Bruyn said Pistorius paid R6000 to the Steenkamps for 18 months from March last year.

Roux said after Pistorius sold his car for R375,000 he said he wanted to give the money to the Steenkamps.

Roux said the Steenkamps would pay back the money once arrangements could be made.

When they said they did not want it the money was paid into a trust account “should they want it later”, said Roux.

He said Pistorius did not want the money back.

On Tuesday, prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the court June Steenkamp rejected the R375,000 as “blood money”.

“She rejects that, she doesn’t want blood money,” Nel told probation officer and social worker Annette Vergeer during cross-examination.

On September 12, Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide for the Valentine’s Day 2013, shooting of Steenkamp in his Pretoria townhouse. The court found him not guilty of murdering Steenkamp.

Pistorius shot Steenkamp through the locked door of the toilet, apparently thinking she was an intruder about to emerge and attack him. She was hit in the hip, arm, and head.

On Wednesday, De Bruyn sent a statement saying the Steenkamps were surprised that the confidential agreement was disclosed in court without their knowledge.

He said the Steenkamps had wanted to disclose the agreement to the media but the athlete wanted to keep it confidential.

Pistorius was also found guilty of firing a pistol under a table at Tasha’s restaurant in Johannesburg in January 2013, but not guilty of shooting through the open sunroof of a car in Modderfontein on September 30, 2012.

Roux said he would not call any more witnesses in the sentencing procedures. Nel said he would call three or four. The court was adjourned for an early lunch so Nel could consult the witnesses.

– Sapa

Follow @CitiReporter on twitter for live updates from inside and outside court or click here for the live twitter feed.