Pistorius Case Dealt 'Serious Blows;' Detective Faces Own Shooting Charges
The murder case against South African athlete Oscar Pistorius was "dealt serious blows" on Thursday, as The Guardian puts it, when it was revealed in court that the lead investigator faces attempted murder charges himself. They stem from an unrelated incident in 2011.
Detective Hilton Botha, prosecutors told the court, faces seven charges of attempted murder. He and two other police officers are accused of firing at a "minibus taxi loaded with passengers," the Guardian adds. They were allegedly drunk at the time.
Prosecutors said they had not known until Wednesday about the charges against Botha, reports South Africa's News 24.
As The New York Times writes, "the disclosure seemed to present one more setback for the prosecution's efforts over days of hearings to deny bail for Mr. Pistorius."
The Times adds, though, that "South African news reports said the 2011 shooting happened when the officers were pursuing a man accused of murdering and dismembering a woman before putting the body parts into a drain. ... Mr. Botha was quoted in South African news reports as denying claims that he was drunk during the alleged shooting. He said he and other officers had aimed at the wheels of the minivan without causing injuries."