Oscar Pistorius denies suicide bid after being treated for injuries at hospital
Sunday 7 August 2016 14:33, UK
Oscar Pistorius has denied "speculations" of a suicide attempt after he was treated at a private hospital in Pretoria for injuries suffered in jail.
The South African Paralympian was rushed to Kalafong Hospital from his Pretoria prison cell on Saturday, where he is serving a six-year sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.
Singabakho Nxumalo, a spokesman for the correctional services department, said Pistorius told officials that he suffered injuries after falling out of bed. South African media reported that Pistorius also had injuries to his wrists.
A spokesman at the Department of Correctional Services said: "Oscar Pistorius denied speculations of a suicide attempt.
"As a policy principle we cannot further discuss a particular offender's personal condition in the public domain."
He has since been returned to jail following treatment.
After visiting Pistorius, his brother Carl tweeted: "He is doing well given the circumstances. He was in good spirits.
"I know that there are reports saying that he had tried to injure himself - they are completely untrue and sensational.
"All other crazy and unreliable news stories are also baseless. He slipped in his cell and injured himself, nothing serious."
The athlete fatally shot Steenkamp in his home on Valentine's Day in 2013.
He initially served one year of a five-year prison sentence for manslaughter, but the conviction was later overturned by an appeals court. He was then convicted of the more serious charge of murder.
The six-time Paralympic gold medallist has always insisted the shooting was a mistake, saying he thought an intruder had entered his home and he feared for his safety.
He fired four shots through a locked toilet door, killing Steenkamp and claimed in court it was only when he battered down the door with a cricket bat that he realised the person behind was his girlfriend.
Prosecutors said in July they would appeal Pistorius' six-year sentence, saying it was too lenient.
