Oscar charged with girlfriend’s murder

A sobbing Oscar Pistorius was formally charged by a South African magistrate today with murdering his model girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. The 26-year-old superstar sprinter broke down in the dock as magistrate Desmond Nair announced a single charge of killing his lover, blonde covergirl Reeva Steenkamp. The double amputee, an inspirational hero of last year’s London Olympics, sat hunched, audibly crying as Nair considered whether to allow the proceedings at the Pretoria court to be broadcast. Relatives in the public gallery tried in vain to console the gold medallist. Known worldwide as ‘Blade Runner’ because of his carbon fibre prostheses -- Pistorius ius accused of shooting his glamorous lover four times at his upmarket Pretoria home in the early hours yesterday.  She was shot with his 9mm pistol, suffering wounds to the head and hand and died on the scene. The sprinter had spent the night behind bars and was subject to blood-alcohol, DNA and other tests, as forensics experts continued to work at the crime scene at his home.