Pistorius Claims He Thought Girlfriend Was an Intruder

Reeva Steenkamp died after being shot by the South African runner

PRETORIA, South Africa, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- South African paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius thought he was firing at an intruder through a bathroom door, not his girlfriend, his lawyer told the court.

In a statement read during a bail hearing Tuesday by Barry Roux, Pistorius, a paraplegic runner, gave his account of events Thursday when his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp died in his house in a gated community in Pretoria, The Guardian reported.