Carl Pistorius Charged With 'Culpable Murder' of Motorcyclist, Faces Own Trial
Carl Pistorius, brother of Olympic star Oscar, is now facing charges for the "unlawful, negligent killing" of a woman in 2010. Carl's lawyers have disputed the charges and will appear in court this week.
Prosecutors have said that they filed charges after learning of his participation in the death of a woman on motorcycle. They claim he was driving recklessly when he crashed with the woman, causing her to have fatal injuries.
"Carl deeply regrets the accident," a statement from the Pistorius family said. "Blood tests conducted by the police at the time proved that he had not been under the influence of alcohol, confirming that it was a tragic road accident after the deceased collided with Carl's car."
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The younger Pistorius was scheduled to go to trial this week, but the courts postponed it in light of his brother's arrest. Instead, Carl will face the court in late March and is predicted to be over by June, CNN reported. Carl has been a consistent presence in the courtroom, supporting older brother Oscar during his own murder charge.
Oscar Pistorius has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, a charge that he has denied. The shooting occurred on Valentine's Day, with neighbors alerting police to the domestic disturbance; Steenkamp had been shot four times by Pistorius, who has said he thought it was an intruder.
The case took an odd twist when lead detective Hilton Botha was charged with seven counts of attempted murder. He was promptly removed from the investigation and a new lead detective appointed.
Pistorius was granted bail on Friday and is now staying at the home of his uncle; he is not permitted to return to his home, which is still under investigation. He must also sign in at the police station twice a week in order to remain on bail. A court date has not been set yet for Oscar Pistorius.
