OSCAR Pistorius, jailed for the murder of his girlfriend in 2016, was released from prison today after serving half of his sentence.
Journalist and author John Carlin, who met Pistorius, told The Sun that the “manipulative” convicted killer kept a shrine to her in the mansion where he now lives.
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Carlin, who followed his trial closely, first met Pistorius at his uncle Arnold’s £2 million mansion in the wealthy suburb of Waterkloof, Pretoria.
Pistorius returned there quietly today, dodging dozens of press outside his prison as he was escorted out through a private exit.
The author, who once visited the cottage where Pistorius now lives on the grounds of his uncle’s vast estate, described Arnold as a “very rich man”.
He said: “We went in through the door, and the first thing I saw, to my astonishment, on a wall facing over a mantelpiece was a picture of Reeva Steenkamp.
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“Quite a well known photograph of hers, looking very sort of bewitching, and, you know, super modelish.
“And underneath the framed photograph of the wall on the mantelpiece a lit candle.”
Pistorius offered no explanation for the strange shrine to his dead girlfriend.
In a bizarre turn of events Carlin said Pistorius took him to a nearby Italian restaurant for lunch earlier that day, where he reminisced about eating there with Reeva.
“He said that this restaurant was one that he and Reeva Steenkamp, his girlfriend, who he killed used to go and eat out.
“He told me a couple of dishes that Reeva enjoyed, the linguine or something.”
His later attempts to show Carlin album pictures of the couple together struck the writer as manipulative.
“We sat down on a sort of couch, and he started rifling through these photo albums and showing me pictures of him and Reeva together, apparently very much in love.
“Smiling to the cameras, in in gorgeous settings, on mountaintops, on beaches, and so forth.
“He’s not a stupid man. He knew I was doing a book about him, about this whole case, and I was following the trial as a journalist, and I think clearly he was trying to convince me that he and Reeva had been very much in love.
“And that therefore the notion that he had deliberately killed her, which is what the prosecution of the trial was seeking to prove, was ridiculous.
“Now, aware of the fact that I was being to some degree manipulated, I was obviously sceptical and didn’t really form any judgement.”
Pistorius’ trial, watched worldwide, became infamous.
Carlin remembers watching him “regularly vomit into this plastic bucket by side”, while giving testimony and even while hearing others give theirs.
He thinks Pistorius would have had to be a “fantastic actor” to perform such “harrowing” scenes.
Carlin, who wrote Chase Your Shadow: The Trials of Oscar Pistorius, also told The Sun his first impression of Pistorius changed rapidly.
The former Paralympian initially appeared “meek” and a “kind of guilty schoolboy”.
But he changed quickly, going from polite and reserved to relating to Carlin “as if we were old buddies”.
The author, who says he knows Pistorius and his family well, believes the former athlete will lie low following his release.
“I think a lot of people would have wanted him to just spend the rest of his life in jail and the key be thrown away.
“Social media statistics around the world showed that there was a significant majority of people who absolutely convinced themselves that he had deliberately killed her.
“So. Yes, he will be wary, and I think, for that reason, but also for personal reasons.”
The killer spent his time behind bars in two South Africa prisons and was given added protection due to his fame and dangerous enemies.
Now he will have to rely for protection on his uncle Arnold, who is to house him at the £2 million, three-storey mansion.
Police have warned him he will forever be a target for underworld figures and angry friends of his victim Reeva Steenkamp’s late father Barry following his release.
Tycoon Arnold, who made millions from property and tourism, has hired armed guards with attack dogs.
He has also put up razor wire and electric fences around the 12- bedroom converted church to keep his nephew safe.
It is not uncommon for wealthy suburbs in South Africa to come with heavy protection against criminal gangs.
He made a failed bid for parole in March 2023 before it was granted in November.
He will remain under parole conditions until December 2029.
The former “blade runner” will also have to attend therapy for anger and “gender-based violence issues”.
Pistorius will also complete community service.
June Steenkamp, Reeva’s mother said today in a statement: “Has there been justice for Reeva? Has Oscar served enough time?
“There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back.
“We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence.”
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