Pistorius gets into fight in Johannesburg night club
J HANN SB G euters — scar Pistorius, the Paralympic athlete on trial in South Africa for the murder of his girlfriend eeva Steenkamp, got into a fight in a nightclub on Saturday evening with a man who “aggressively engaged” him about the case.
The 2 -year-old athlete’s spokeswoman confirmed the altercation took place but insisted Pistorius had been sitting quietly in the P section of the club, in the upmarket district of Sandton in Johannesburg, when he was approached.
The man, named by South African news website The Juice as Jared ortimer, claimed Pistorius was “drunk and very aggressive” and poked him in the chest while telling him “you’ll never get the better of me.”
ortimer told the website he then pushed Pistorius, who fell over into a chair, at which point bouncers at the P oom intervened and the athlete left the nightclub.
The incident comes ust days after Pistorius’ trial ad ourned following the close of the defense case. The case will resume on Aug. for closing arguments, before the udge announces her verdict, which could carry a life sentence.
The athlete shot Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door at his home in Pretoria in the early hours of alentine’s ay 201 , but said he believed she was an intruder. The prosecution argues he did so after an argument.
Pistorius has rarely been seen in public since shortly after the shooting when a visit to a restaurant in Johannesburg brought accusations that he had been “downing drinks and flirting with women.”