- .Paralympian tried to offer single payment to ease their 'pain and suffering'
- .Parents Barry and June Steenkamp will also return £6,000 in payments
- .They have also agreed not to purse civil action against daughter's killer
- .Pistorius forced to sidle past ex-girlfriend in court who testifiedagainst him
- .Samantha Taylor also accuses him of cheating on her with Reeva Steenkamp
- .Pistorius also had to brush past a man he clashed with in nightclub fracas
- .Probation officer said prison would place amputee in danger of sex attacks
- .Athlete faces sentencing hearing for the manslaughter of model girlfriend
- Could be jailed for 15 years, but may also walk away with a community term
- .Agent denies prosecution claims that runner is portrayed as a 'poor victim'
The parents of the woman shot dead by Oscar Pistorius rejected as 'blood money' a lump sum of £21,000 offered by the athlete for their 'pain and suffering', a court heard today.
Barry and June Steenkamp also vowed to return 'every cent' of monthly payments that their daughter Reeva's killer has been depositing into an account since her death.
A probation officer hired by Pistorius's legal team had earlier told the court the athlete's financial gesture had been an indication of his grave remorse for taking the life of Miss Steenkamp.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel responded by saying the lump sum payment, raised by the sale of his car, had been immediately rejected by the Steenkamps.
Mr Nel said the couple would also not proceed with any civil action against the track star.
Dup De Bruyn, a lawyer for the Steenkamps, later confirmed his clients had received R6,000 (£340) a month for the last 18 months, but payments had now stopped and the money would be repaid.
Awkward: Oscar Pistorius makes his way past ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor (centre) on his way into the dock
Tense: The Paralympian had to brush past Miss Taylor who gave evidence against him during his murder trial
Mr De Bruyn said he approached the athlete's legal team in the weeks after the model's death to explain that her family were struggling financially because Miss Steenkamp regularly sent money to her cash-strapped parents.
'I conveyed this to Oscar Pistorius's lawyers,' Mr De Bruyn told journalists, adding that the track star began providing monthly support - a fact he was keen to keep private.
The lawyer said Mr and Mrs Steenkamp were now in a position to repay the money - a total of £6,200.
'The Steenkamps don’t want any money and there will be no civil case, they wan’t closure,' Mr De Bruyn said.
Earlier, Pistorius found himself in a rather uncomfortable position in court after he was forced to squeeze past his ex-girlfriend to take his seat in the dock.
In an excruciating encounter, the Paralympian had to brush past Samantha Taylor, an ex-lover who had given evidence against him during his murder trial.
Miss Taylor has also accused the athlete of cheating on her with Reeva Steenkamp, the model girlfriend he went on to shoot dead, and claims she feared for her life during their relationship.
Wearing a short-sleeved black dress, Miss Taylor, 20, wore a picture of Miss Steenkamp as she sat on the front bench of the public gallery.
Earlier, the probation officer, Annette Vergeer, argued that the double-amputee should not be jailed for the manslaughter of Miss Steenkamp because prison would 'break' him.
Uncomfortable exchange: Miss Taylor also accused the athlete of cheating on her with Reeva Steenkamp
Bitter break-up: Oscar Pistorius pictured with former lover Samantha Taylor while they were dating
Defence witness said jail would be 'an excessive punishment' for the double-amputee, placing him at risk of poor hygiene, Aids and even gang rape.
As she spoke, Miss Steenkamp's friends and family shook their heads in disbelief, while her cousin Kim Martin broke down in tears.
Mr Nel also accused Annette Vergeer of exaggerating the dire state of South African prisons and their ability to accommodate Pistorius' disability.
A number of colourful and controversial characters from South Africa's criminal underworld have joined the public benches since the lengthy sentencing hearing got under way.
Mikey Shultz, a self-confessed killer, and Guil Yahav, a former bouncer who also faced murder charges, sat on the side of the court which has traditionally been occupied by Miss Steenkamp's friends and relatives.
'His sentence began on the day he shot the deceased and he will carry the burden for the rest of his life,' she said, reading from a dossier of findings after interviewing the convicted killer.
Barry Steenkamp, 69, slumped back in his seat, as Ms Vergeer described home-based 'correctional supervision' as 'not a light sentence'.
She urged Judge Thokozile Masipa 'not to satisfy public opinion but serve the public interest' by sparing Pistorius of time behind bars which would be 'an excessive punishment' given his profound disability and fragile state of mind.
Back in the dock: Oscar Pistorius takes notes before the start of the second day of his sentencing hearing
The probation officer, who chose not give her testimony on camera, also told the Judge that Pistorius had demonstrated his remorse, including by sending monthly payments to his victim's grieving parents along with the offer of an additional lump sum.
News of this compensation package was greeted with surprise by some members of the Steenkamp party, although Mr Steenkamp, and his wife June, 67, remained stony-faced.
In an interview last month, Miss Taylor told how she feared for her life while dating Pistorius because of what she described as his violent mood swings.
She claimed he made her sit on a naughty step as he shouted at her and once drove his Porsche at 200mph as a 'punishment' for an argument.
On the night Pistorius shot Miss Steenkamp, she said she was flooded with RIP messages to her phone, email and Twitter from friends who feared that she was the victim.
'The biggest shock for me was when it did happen - lots of people thought it actually was me,' Miss Taylor told Channel Nine's program, A Current Affair, last month.
'That really could have been me.'
Miss Taylor also gave evidence against the athlete in relation to a firearms charge in which he was accused of firing a gun out of a car sunroof.
She claimed that while giving evidence Pistorius made 'evil' eye contact with her the whole time.
'It was such a strange feeling - I can't explain it. His expression was pretty evil, it was like 'I really hate you right now.''
A hug from his brother: Pistorius is embraced by Carl Pistorius before taking his seat in the dock
In the hours after the fatal shooting, Miss Taylor's mother Trish posted on her Facebook page: 'I am so glad that Sammy is safe and sound and out of the clutches of that man.
'There were a few occasions where things could have gone wrong with her and his gun during the time they dated.'
Mrs Taylor has penned a book about her daughter's relationship with the fallen track star called Oscar: An Accident Waiting To Happen.
To compound his awkwardness before the start of today's hearing, Pistorius also had to sidle past Jared Mortimer - a man he was involved in a nightclub scuffle with in July.
Mr Mortimer, who accompanied Miss Taylor to court, clashed with Pistorius in the VIP section of the Johannesburg club after the runner reportedly made disparaging comments about his friends and the South African president, Jacob Zuma.
After exchanging insults, Mr Mortimer claimed Pistorius began poking him in the chest and squaring up to him, to which the businessman responded by pushing the double amputee backwards and flying to the floor.
Mr Mortimer told his local paper, 'He [Pistorius] was poking me and saying that I would never get the better of him.
'He was close to my face and at that point I pushed him to get him away from me. A chair was behind his legs and he fell to the ground.'
He said bouncers helped pick Pistorius up, but the sprinter went on to have another altercation later in the evening.
'A little bit later he had a confrontation with another man and the bouncers were asked to please remove him because he was causing trouble,' Mr Mortimer added.
Mr Mortimer's presence in court prompted speculation that he could be called to recount the incident to Judge Masipa when the prosecution calls its own witnesses in the second part of the sentencing hearing.
The Paralympian's manager and friend also told a court today that Pistorius only has himself to blame for the loss of lucrative sponsorship deals and other opportunities after shooting his girlfriend dead.
Peet van Zyl denied claims by the prosecution that the disgraced runner was being portrayed as a 'poor victim' ahead of his sentencing for the manslaughter of Reeva Steenkamp.
The athlete, known as Blade Runner, could face up to 15 years in prison but could dodge a jail term altogether with a community sentence.
Mr van Zyl has been called to testify by the defence who argue the athlete has suffered emotionally and financially after the shooting in a bid to persuade the judge not to send him to jail.
Under cross-examination, prosecutor Gerrie Nel thundered: 'You view Mr Pistorius as a poor victim of this case.'
Facing his fate: Oscar Pistorius arrives at the North Gauteng High Court for the second day of his sentencing hearing which will determine whether he is jailed for up to 15 years or walks free for killing his girlfriend
Mr Van Zyl denied the claim, adding: 'He can only blame himself.'
Mr Nel seized on Mr van Zyl's bundle of his client's charity-related works, with sporting stars such as David Beckham and Novak Djokovic, as an essential element to his lucrative sponsorship deals and opportunities to gain sympathetic PR.
He quoted an e-mail written by Mr van Zyl to the runner's lawyer, Brian Webber and counsel, Barry Roux, in which the coach blamed the prosecution and negative media coverage of his client's murder trial for the loss of 'opportunities' - platforms to serve good causes and income-generating sponsorship deals.
In the note, which was headed To Whom It May Concern, Mr van Zyl cited 'irresponsible, insensitive and inaccurate' reporting for the tough times facing his client.
'If it had been handled with a bit more respect in the media, it would have been different for Oscar Pistorius.'
Reading from the e-mail, which was included in a bundle of 100 pages of documents relating to the athlete's philanthropic work, Mr Nel quoted Mr van Zyl bemoaning the fact that 'these platforms are now all taken away from the state and media.'
Under tough interrogation by Mr Nel, the coach quickly said he regretted apportioning blame to the state and media for the tough times now facing Pistorius, citing an 'error of judgement on my part' for which he apologised.
He also denied viewing his client as a victim of the fatal shooting that claimed his girlfriend's life.
He told the court that he continued to receive requests for Pistorius to make motivational speeches and appearances.
Bid for freedom: The prospect of Pistorius not spending a single night behind bars seemed increasingly likely after his psychologist described him as 'a broken man' and a social worker said he 'should not be destroyed'
To which the prosecutor responded, with obvious incredulity: 'So people would want to listen to Mr Pistorius still, after he's killed someone?'
Wearing a short-sleeved black dress, the track star's former girlfriend Samantha Taylor, 20, wore a picture of Reeva Steenkamp - the woman she accused of stealing her boyfriend - as she sat on the front bench of the public gallery.
Reading from a 100-page dossier of charitable causes supported by the fallen track star, his manager Peet van Zyl yesterday described Pistorius as 'a humble and accommodating person' who risked his own fitness to pursue a vigorous timetable of good works.
The prospect of the convicted killer not spending a single night behind bars seemed increasingly likely after his psychologist described him as 'a broken man' and a social worker said he 'should not be destroyed'.
Prison official Joel Maringa said Pistorius, 27, should be sentenced to three years of house arrest, which would mean he would not be allowed to leave home without permission.
Mr Maringa, who is attached to the government department charged with running South Africa's notoriously overcrowded prisons, went on to suggest 16 hours a month of community service for the killer, including sweeping outside museums and cleaning hospitals.
Relatives of Reeva Steenkamp shook their heads as Mr Maringa made his recommendation to Judge Thokozile Masipa, who is hearing arguments for and against jailing the athlete after his conviction for culpable homicide.
His therapist, Dr Lore Hartzenberg, also told how Pistorius had suffered from a 'spiral of grief without resolution' since he shot his 29-year-old girlfriend through a locked toilet door in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year.
She described him as 'a broken man who has lost everything'.
Known for her support of non-custodial sentences for first-time offenders who show remorse, Judge Masipa – who received death threats after her decision to acquit Pistorius of murder – sat under heavy armed guard at Pretoria High Court.
Extreme views: A supporter of the death penalty holds a noose outside the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria as Oscar Pistorius returned for the second day of the sentencing hearing for killing his model girlfriend
Strain: Reeva Steenkamp's mother, June, arrives at court. She has reportedly penned a witness impact statement, which will be read to the court by prosecutor Gerrie Nel
Tense: Miss Steenkamp's father, Barry, arrives at court. He suffered a stroke earlier this year which prosecutors claim was a result of his daughter's death
If Pistorius is spared time behind bars by Judge Thokozile Masipa for killing his 29-year-old girlfriend, a return to competition, even the Olympic Games in Rio in two years' time, seems a feasible goal.
In recommending home-based 'correctional supervision' for the South African runner, prison social worker Joel Maringa said enabling the athlete's return to financial independence was a factor.
The suggestion that a three-year restriction on his free movement, coupled with two days of community service a month, was a suitable punishment for taking his lover's life was denounced by Mr Nel as 'shockingly inappropriate'.
How his disability and fragile state of mind and need for ongoing therapy and medication would be dealt with by South Africa's overstretched prison authorities.
Other mental health experts have previously highlighted the real risk of Pistorius taking his own life.
High-profile couple: Reeva Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius pictured together (left) in January last year and (right) Pistorius competing in the men's 100m heats at the 2012 London Paralympics
Once Mr Nel has tested Ms Vergeer's evidence in cross-examination, he will be free to call his own witnesses who he hopes will persuade Judge Masipa that a lengthy jail term is a just sentence to reflect the severity of his crime.
Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp in a hail of bullets in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year. He was cleared of the law graduate turned model's murder, but found guilty of culpable homicide.
Mr Nel, known in South African legal circles as 'the pitbull' for his combative style of questioning, will be calling for the maximum possible sentence for the fallen track star, even though jail is unusual for first time offenders convicted of culpable homicide, or manslaughter.
NPA spokesperson Nathi Mncube said that the state would argue for a sentence that fitted the severity of the crime.
'Our duty is to make sure... we ask for the harshest sentence possible,' he said.
June Steenkamp, the dead law graduate's 67-year-old mother, has reportedly penned a witness impact statement, which will be read to the court by Mr Nel, which details how she and husband Barry have suffered since sudden, violent loss of their daughter 18 months ago.
Gina Myers, Miss Steenkamp's best friend, is also likely to be called to speak about the impact the sudden death of the model has had on the life of others who were close to her.
Miss Myers, a make-up artist who met and befriended Miss Steenkamp in 2008, shared confidences and a home with PIstorius's victim.
It was she, along with her father Cecil and brother David who identified Miss Steenkamp's body in the aftermath of the horrific shooting in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year.
Miss Myers, her mother Desi and sister Kim, have attended almost every single day of the trial so far, freely and frequently betraying the strength of their negative feelings towards Pistorius.
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