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OSCAR Pistorius stormed out of his sentencing hearing after a self-confessed killer at court allegedly mouthed the words "f**k you" to his sister, who started crying.
The hearing had just adjourned for lunch when Pistorius left the court in a hurry, and his sister Aimee, was "crying and shaking" and left the court weeping.
The Pistorius family told reporters outside the court that self-confessed hitman Mikey Schultz who gained entry to the hearing was sitting in the room on the same side as them in the public gallery, when he allegedly mouthed the obscenities.
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In tears, the sister of South African paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, Aimee, sits next to her aunt Lois. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
Schultz has denied making the verbal threat to the family, and told reporters outside the court: "Pistorius family are the victims. Always the victims".
The Pistorius family now want an order made by the court to ban him from future proceedings, according to local reports.
They are meeting with their lawyers to discuss the possibility of making such a request, after they felt threatened by Schultz.
Before the break, Acting Commissioner of Correctional Services has said he is unaware of claims that a gang leader in prison would attack Oscar Pistorius if he was sent to jail.
Zac Modise has been giving evidence to defence lawyer Barry Roux, who cited newspaper reports that suggested a gang leader from "26" in prison who is known as a "General" had "promised Oscar Pistorius hell" in jail, where he'd be "taken out".
Modise said he was unaware of such reports, and they are dealing with incidents of gangsterism in prisons.
He told the court that Correctional Services is in a position to cater for inmates with disabilities like Pistorius.
His evidence contradicts the defence's witness, Annette Vergeer, who said yesterday that Pistorius would not have suitable facilities and could be raped in jail.
He added that prisoners can attend anger management courses and a range of practical skill learning courses and sports including athletics and boxing among others.
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Oscar Pistorius attends the fourth day of sentencing proceedings in the high court in Pretoria, South Africa. Picture: AP Source: AP
His evidence comes after Pistorius desperately wanted to meet and privately apologise to the family of his slain girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The offer of a private meeting between the Blade Runner and Reeva's parents Barry and June Steenkamp was made on day four of Pistorius' sentence hearing.
Pistorius' lawyer Barry Roux made the comment during the evidence of Ms Steenkamp's cousin Kim Martin. And he said that very shortly after shooting Ms Steenkamp dead last year, Pistorius had written letters to her parents "where he sincerely apologised and dealt with a lot of emotional issues".
But he was advised by his legal team not to hand them over at the time.
Ms Martin was not aware of this. She concluded her emotional evidence, about the devastating effect of Ms Steenkamp's death on her family, by saying that she rejects Pistorius' courtroom apology for the crime and that he must pay for what he has done.
Her family was not seeking revenge she said.
Happier times ... Oscar Pistorius and former girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Picture: AP Source: AP
Asked how she felt about Pistorius now, Ms Martin said she was fearful of him and had tried really hard to put him out of her mind.
"We've even made a point of not mentioning his name in my house because I don't want to spend any energy thinking about him. That is not easy for me ... I really believe that Mr Pistorius needs to pay for what he has done," Ms Martin said.
"I just feel that to take someone's life, to shoot somebody behind a toilet door that is unarmed and is harmless needs sufficient punishment ... I don't feel the suggested punishment fits the crime," Ms Martin said.
Ms Martin, who is 12 years senior to Ms Steenkamp, gave tearful testimony on Wednesday about the devastating impact that the young law graduate and model's death has had on her parents and family.
The family was ruined by the shooting and it had impacted dreadfully on father Barry's health. He had suffered strokes since his daughter was killed.
Ms Martin was called as a witness by the State as part of its case of aggravation on sentencing of Pistorius.
The State wants him jailed for the culpable homicide of Ms Steenkamp but the defence is fighting hard to keep him out of prison, given the court's finding that he did not
intend to shoot his lover and instead believed he was firing at an intruder in his home that evening.
Pistorius' lawyers have called two witnesses to testify that he should not be jailed and instead serve house arrest. One witness, from the Department of Correctional Services, suggested three years house arrest with the requirement to do 18 hours per month of community service, such as cleaning duties at a museum.
Mother of Reeva, June Steenkamp. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images
Father of Reeva, Barry Steenkamp. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
The State calls this a "shockingly inappropriate" sentence for shooting dead an innocent woman in a locked toilet cubicle.
A war of wards has erupted over defence witness claims that the South African prison system is overcrowded and rife with violence, crime, drugs and disease and could not adequately deal with a disabled person such as Pistorius, who has two prosthetic legs.
The acting National Commissioner for Correctional Services, Moleko Zac Modise, has been called to testify and to rebut the claims that prison system could not humanely deal with pistorius.
A crying Oscar Pistorius, left, is comforted by his brother Carl Pistorius, as his defence lawyer, Barry Roux, right looks on during the third day of sentencing hearings in the high court in Pretoria. Picture: AP Source: AP
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel has a total of three witnesses left, raising concerns about when a sentence will be given to the fallen athlete.
Judge Thokozile Masipa is understood to be assigned to other cases next week, which makes the time frame for her to make a decision on Pistorius's fate very short if she does hand down a sentence this week.
Legal experts are now suggesting she may make Pistorius wait till November before she sentences him.
The case continues.
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