Oscar Pistorius Allowed To Travel And Compete After Challenging Bail Terms

Athlete awaiting trial after being charged with murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has won the right to travel after challenging the terms of his bail.

The sprinter, 26, will now be allowed to leave South Africa to compete as long as he complies with conditions set out by a judge.

He will also be allowed to return to his Pretoria home, where he shot and killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day.

Pistorius denies murder, saying he mistook his model girlfriend for an intruder. His trial is scheduled for June 4.

His bail conditions had been imposed by Magistrate Desmond Nair on February 22.

Pistorius was ordered to hand over his South African passports as well as avoid his home in Pretoria and all witnesses in the case.

He also had to report to a police station twice a week and was banned from consuming alcohol.

However Judge Bert Bam branded the decision not to grant Mr Pistorius permission to travel as 'wrong'.

Pistorius's defence lawyer Barry Roux said the bail conditions were like 'house arrest'.

Addressing the court, he said: 'Why would this athlete go to a country without extradition and go and hide?

'It is not as if the appellant is travelling for holiday in Mauritius; it's only to gain an income, there's no other reason.'

Currently the athlete has no current plans to compete internationally, and has still not resumed training.

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