Was Oscar Pistorius' Nightclub Brawl Provoked?

Things haven't looked up for Oscar Pistorius, the Olympic runner currently on trial for the alleged murder of his longtime girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. While out at a nightclub in Johannesburg, Oscar Pistorius was allegedly accosted by a stranger who wouldn't stop questioning the athlete about Steenkamp's murder. According to a Pistorius family spokesperson, an argument ensued, and Pistorius eventually left the nightclub.

"My client regrets the decision to go to a public space and thereby inviting unwelcome attention," spokesperson Anneliese Burgess said in a statement.

Burgess said that Pistorius was sitting in a quiet section of the VIP area at the nightclub with his cousin at the time of the confrontation. Coincidentally, the nightclub is called The VIP Room. According to the club's website, The VIP Room caters to the "nouveau riche," and provides its "exclusive clientele [with] superlative service, music and ambience."

Burgess also identified the harasser as "Mr. Mortimer." The South African news website The Juice named the man as Jared Mortimer, who told the website that although he pushed the Olympic runner, Pistorius was drunk and aggressive.

Mortimer recalled the events of the night to The Juice:

Oscar knew one of my friends and said, ‘Oh, you are the infamous Jared Mortimer.’ He immediately started talking about his friends and how they had backstabbed him. ... He then mentioned one of my friends and claimed he had a lot of dirt on that person. He was going on about how influential his family is and how connected they are. He even pulled out his phone to show me pictures of armored cars. He said ‘My family owns SANDF.' ... He said you’ll never get the better of me. I’ll always get the better of you.

The Oscar Pistorius murder trial resumed on June 30 after a 30-day break so the paraplegic runner could undergo a psychiatric evaluation. A psychiatric assessment concluded that Pistorius was not mentally incapacitated when he allegedly shot Steenkamp through the bathroom door of their home, and knew the "wrongfulness of his act."

Pistorius also returned to social media on Sunday, following a six-month-long hiatus. He released four tweets with inspirational words and pictures, as well as biblical messages. One tweet asked the Lord to "bathe those who live in pain in the river of your healing."

Closing arguments in the Pistorius murder trial are scheduled for Aug. 7 and 8. If found guilty of premeditated murder, Pistorius could face 25 years to life in prison. He faces less time if found guilty of negligent killing. He also faces separate gun charges.

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