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PRETORIA, South Africa -- Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius returned to a South African courtroom Tuesday morning for a bail hearing, where a judge officially charged the Blade Runner with premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend on Valentine's day.
Pistorius broke down in court and said he was deeply in love with his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, and that he had no intention of killing her. But prosecutors said he murdered her after a shouting match, and argued Pistorius should remain in jail.
Prosecutors also said Pistorius put on his prosthetic legs and walked across the room before firing four shots at Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door. Family members of the super model held her funeral Tuesday in the South African city of Port Elizabeth.
Pistorius' family calls Steenkamp's death a tragic accident. They say the sprinter, known as the Blade Runner for his prosthetic legs, is
not a killer -- but a sportsman who acted on instinct.
Pistorius' family says the runner shot Steenkamp inside his upscale home, because he thought she was an intruder. Unconfirmed reports say police found a bloody cricket bat at the crime scene.
Pistorius' agent says the double-amputee has canceled all future races. Steenkamp had been dating Pistorius for several months.
A judge adjourned the bail hearing until Wednesday. If tried and convicted of premeditated murder, the Olympic star could spend the rest of his life in prison.
