Reeva’s father ready to testify

BARRY Steenkamp will give evidence for the first time next week to ask for a lengthy jail term for Oscar Pistorius.

Steenkamp suffered a series of strokes following his daughter Reeva’s killing, and on his doctor’s advice did not attend Pistorius’s trial.

While his wife, June, sat through harrowing testimony in court, Barry opted to watch on television.

But next week, as Pistorius is sentenced for an upgraded murder conviction, Steenkamp is expected to become the “final ace” up the prosecution’s sleeve.

“He decided he had to say thank you to all the people that supported him but also to say goodbye to his daughter,” a source told The Sunday Telegraph.

“He is very fragile but he wants to do it. If he can, it will be very powerful and emotional testimony.”

Tomorrow the original trial judge, Thokozile Masipa, will hear pre-sentencing arguments at the High Court in Pretoria. Murder carries a mandatory life sentence with a minimum of 15 years.

But Pistorius is likely to see time subtracted from his term for good behaviour during his earlier period in prison, and community work he has undertaken. FRAGILE: Barry Steenkamp avoided the Pistorius trial

Laywer Ulrich Roux said the athlete could help his cause if he opted to give evidence, showing that he was “very remorseful” and how the tragedy had affected his life.

Pistorius could appeal against the sentence, Roux said.

Andrea Johnson, the deputy prosecutor, said she would push for the full 15-year minimum term, and would appeal if the judge ordered him to serve fewer than eight.

The athlete has given his first major interview since the crime, to ITV News, although it will not be screened until June 24.

Johnson branded the Pistorius family “arrogant” for agreeing to speak and said they would seek to determine whether his comments in the interview were a mitigating, or aggravating, factor.

Arnold Pistorius said he, and not Oscar, had approved the interview, which was intended to “address some of the distortions and misconceptions that have remained unchallenged”.

Meanwhile, Pistorius’s biggest fan has travelled more than 11 000km to give him emotional support.

Ebba Guðmundsdóttir arrived in Johannesburg from Iceland yesterday morning.

The television show chef met Pistorius at the peak of his sporting career. Her son, Haflidi Hafthorsson, was born with the same disability as Pistorius 11 years ago. Haflidi, also a double amputee, instantly bonded with Pistorius.

Guðmundsdóttir spent two weeks attending Pistorius’s trial and returned to South Africa in March so that her son could spend time with his hero.

“They played soccer and Fifa [video game] and I think it did Oscar a lot of good to see Haflidi,” she said this week.

“He was just as kind and sweet. Of course, you can see the toll this has taken on him. He doesn’t feel sorry for himself . . . but he’s struggling,” she said. —