Oscar’s tragic Valentine

14 February 2013 - 13:27 By Staff reporter
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Reeva Steenkamp, Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius’s model girlfriend at the Virgin Active sports industry awards 2013 held at Emperors Palace on February 7, 2013.
Reeva Steenkamp, Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius’s model girlfriend at the Virgin Active sports industry awards 2013 held at Emperors Palace on February 7, 2013.
Image: Tshepo Kekana

Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius, arrested for the alleged fatal shooting of his girlfriend, has made headlines more than once for alleged drunken and abusive behaviour.

While the man who had his lower legs amputated remains a hero for running in the Olympics on prothestic blades, he has not always been a gentleman.

>According to The Star newspaper, last November Pistorius allegedly threatened to break a man's legs after his girlfriend at the time allegedly cheated on him.

Pistorius allegedly swore at businessman Clinton Van der Burgh, the man who created Clifton Shores, the Tropika reality TV show his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, (who is thought to have shot dead)  was part of.

The Paralympic medalist allegedly swore at Van der Burgh in front of his business associates, resulting in Van der Burgh laying a charge of defamation against Pistorius.

Marc Batchelor, a former soccer player and a friend of Van der Burgh got involved and tensions between him and Pistorius escalated. Pistorius then allegedly sent Batchelor a message saying he would "break his legs". 

Eventually, Batchelor and Pistorius met with the Hawks, the police's specialised crime fighting unit.

>In a letter written to News24, concert-goer Shirley Martin describes how rude and abusive Oscar allegedly became at  a Kings of Leon concert, allegedly calling her friend and her "f###ing lesbians".

At the concert, he was claimed to have drunkenly knocked over Martin's friend, Marilyn.

"This was no accidental stumble! It was a pure and simple act of arrogance and aggression. When Marilyn (in a firm but extremely non-aggressive manner) told Oscar that his behaviour was rude and unacceptable, she was met with a flurry of verbal abuse!

She responded to Pistorius, “What is your problem”. His reply: “ I’m drunk, what’s yours,’ the letter reads.

>Pistorius was involved in a boat accident at the Vaal river. A lot of alcohol was allegedly found on the boat, fuelling speculation that he was drunk while driving the motor boat. Police initially opened a case of reckless and negligent driving.

Pistorius was airlifted to Milpark hospital, put on a ventilator and had to have facial reconstruction surgery after the accident.

>A former girlfriend was reported in the City Press as saying: "He is not what you think he is."

“Oscar is certainly not what people think he is. We dated for a year and a half,” Cape Town marketing student Samantha Taylor said.

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