Oscar Pistorius sustains injuries in prison fight over phone

Jailed Paralympian Oscar Pistorius sustained minor injuries in a fight with another inmate in his South African prison, local media reported on Tuesday.

Singabakho Nxumalo, a spokesman from the department of correctional services, was quoted by the Times newspaper as saying this.

“It is alleged that he was involved in an altercation with another inmate over the use of a public phone in the special care unit‚ where both offenders are detained at the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre.”

“As standard operating procedure regarding cases of alleged assaults‚ DCS has launched an internal investigation into the matter to establish the facts and to ensure that appropriate action is taken as incidents of assault are not allowed‚” said Nxumalo.

He said Pistorius had been taken for a medical check-up after the dispute and was found only to have suffered a bruise.

Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated because of a congenital defect, soared to international fame after becoming the first double amputee to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Then, in 2015, in a case that gripped South Africa and the world, Pistorius was found guilty of the Valentine’s Day murder of his girlfriend, the model Reeva Steenkamp.

The South African sprinter, known as the “Blade Runner” for his prosthetics, maintains he believed Steenkamp was an intruder when he shot her through the bathroom door.

He is serving a 13-year sentence. (dpa/NAN)