Oscar Pistorius smuggled out of prison in middle of night

Pistorius staying with wealthy uncle - who made fortune in property

Arnold Pistorius, the brother of the killer's dad, is a prominent South African businessman who made his fortune developing, letting and managin commercial properties.

Arnold Pistorius and his wife, Lois, raised Pistorius, his sister and brother, Carl, from their teenage years, after the death of their mother.

He owns the luxury home in which Pistorius will stay for the duration for his parole. It's a huge mansion in a leady and wealthy district, boasting sweeping terraces, landscaped gardens and a swimming pool.

Thanks for following along with our live coverage of the killer's release, which is now finished.

Pistorius will spend five years on parole, according to legal expert

A legal expert believes that Pistorius will not be free of his sentence until 2029, despite being let loose from jail.

He had served nine year of the sentence, which was just over 13 years.

Many would expect him to be free of conditions at the end of that period, so another four years, but a legal expert believes he will likely have an additional year to complete his parole conditions.

Legal analyst Melusi Xulu told Newsroom Africa his parole will likely end in December 2029 while detailing the five conditions he will have to adhere to while restricted.

Butcher breast surgeon could have hundreds more victims after old database found

(AFP via Getty Images)

• He will be barred from leaving Pretoria for the duration of his parole.
• He will have to attend an anger management program, as well as an additional program about gender-based violence.
• He will have to perform an as yet unknown amount of community service.
  
• He will be completely prohibited from speaking with the press until the end of his sentence.
• He is also banned from drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

Femicide charity says early release sends wrong message to killers of women

Julia Makata of the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) brigade in the Tshwane region told local paper the Daily Sun that Oscar's release sends the incorrect message to those who commit fermicide and GBV.

"The justice system continues to fail women and children. His release simply promotes and encourages men to keep on killing women, knowing that they will go to jail and come back on parole if they behave well in prisons, which are now called correctional services," she said.

Supporters celebrate Pistorius' release

Social media groups set up to "support Oscar" through his prison sentence have been celebrating after his release was announced, and in the days leading up to today.

On one group, entitled Oscar Pistorius Supporters, a private group with 2,400 members, group admins ask new applicants if they believe that Pistorius charges are "false" and if they believe he should be released.

One post by a top contributor, which was originally written in all capitals, read: "Oscar, prison doors closed behind you for the last time tonight. We say thank you lord with you. Oscar, big things are happening for you tomorrow. I pray for you good luck with everything god's hands will be around you and protect you all the way home.."

Each day over the past few weeks, contributors have been making a "countdown post", saying "two more sleeps", "one more sleep", and so on.

Female violence charity believes Pistorius can be rehabilitated and hopes he'll come out a 'better human'

Reaction to Pistorius' parole has been muted in South Africa, a stark contrast to the first days and months after Steenkamp's killing, which sparked angry protests outside of Pistorius' court hearings calling for him to receive a long prison sentence. There is no death penalty in South Africa.

"He has ticked all the necessary boxes," said Themba Masango, secretary general of Not In My Name International, a group that campaigns against violence against women. "And we can only wish and hope Oscar Pistorius will come out a better human being."

"We tend to forget that there is a possibility where somebody can be rehabilitated."

Pistorius's fall from grace - from inspiring role model to murder con

Before the killing, Pistorius was held up as an inspiring role model after having had both of his legs amputated below the knee as a baby because of a congenital condition.

He became a champion sprinter on his carbon-fiber running blades and made history by competing at the 2012 London Olympics.

But his murder trial destroyed his image. He was accused of being prone to angry outbursts and acting recklessly with guns, while witnesses testified about various altercations he had with others, including an argument in which he allegedly threatened to break a man's legs.

Pistorius became a role model to many when he competed at the London Olympics (Getty Images Europe)

Police vans guard Pistorius inside his uncle's £2million converted church mansion

Pictures this morning show police vans outside the Pretoria mansion that will be Oscar Pistorius's home for the foreseeable future -his uncle's £2million estate in the city's most upmarket suburb.

Pistorius has listed the property as his home while on parole, and it will be the place where officers can call in unexpectedly to check on the former inmate.

A South African Police Service (SAPS) vehicle is seen outside Oscar Pistorius' uncle's house in Waterkloof (AFP via Getty Images)

What does Pistorius say about the killing?

Pistorius has maintained that he shot Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, by mistake. He testified that he believed Steenkamp was a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom and shot through the door with his licensed 9 mm pistol in self-defense.

Prosecutors said he killed his girlfriend intentionally during a late-night argument.

(Pistorius/Amazon Prime)

Alcohol ban, gag order, and female violence program among parole conditions

Some of Pistorius' parole conditions include restrictions on when he's allowed to leave his home, a ban on consuming alcohol, and orders that he must attend programs on anger management and on violence against women. He will have to perform community service.

Pistorius will also have to regularly meet with parole officials at his home and at correctional services offices and will be subjected to unannounced visits by authorities. He is not allowed to leave the Waterkloof district without permission and is banned from speaking to the media until the end of his sentence. He could be sent back to jail if he is in breach of any of his parole conditions.

South Africa does not use tags or bracelets on paroled offenders so Pistorius will not wear any monitoring device, Department of Corrections officials said. But he will be constantly monitored by a department official and will have to inform the official of any major changes in his life, such as if he wants to get a job or move to another house.

Reeva's mum questioned whether Pistorius had served his time

After being approved for parole in November, Pistorius was approved for parole after serving nine of his 13 years and five months for Reeva's killing.

In South Africa, offenders considered a serious threat are eligible after serving at least half of their sentence.

June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, said in a statement that she had accepted Pistorius' parole as part of South African law.

(AFP/Getty Images)

"Has there been justice for Reeva? Has Oscar served enough time? There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back," June Steenkamp said. "We who remain behind are the ones serving a life sentence."

"With the release of Oscar Pistorius on parole, my only desire is that I will be allowed to live my last years in peace with my focus remaining on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, to continue Reeva's legacy."

Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp's heartbreaking final moments before being gunned down

Oscar Pistorius was just 26 when he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, shooting her four times through the bathroom door of his home in Pretoria, South Africa.

Then a global superstar athlete, he claimed he had mistaken his other half for a burglar but prosecutors successfully argued it was premeditated murder. As the former Paralympian is released today after serving eight and a half years at the low-security Atteridgeville Correctional Centre, we detail what we know about what happened in the early hours of Valentine's Day, 2013..

Reeva Steenkamp (Getty Images)

Model and law graduate Reeva, 29, had been dating the elite sprinter for three months after meeting him on South Africa's A-list social circuit. She had been staying overnight at his home, located in a gated community in Silver Lakes, Pretoria, for a few days and just hours before she was killed, gave him a Valentine's card and gift.

Pistorius claimed the couple enjoyed a quiet night on February 13 and after eating dinner, were in bed by 10pm. But an expert pathologist, who found Reeva had been shot dead after 3am, surmised she had eaten no more than two hours before this time.

You can read the rest of our story by Features Writer Vikki White, HERE.

Oscar Pistorius' new life after jail - luxury pad, hitman threat and unrecognisable new look

Athlete Oscar Pistorius, who won gold medals at multiple Paralympic Games and competed at London 2012, was at the height of his career when he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day in 2013.

Convicted of murder the following year, the sprinter was granted parole in November after serving eight and a half years at the low-security Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in his home town of Pretoria.

What will life look like now as Pistorius, 37, is being released? Sources suggest he is set to live in the grounds of his uncle Arnold's estate. The property and tourism tycoon owns a £2million 12 bed, three storey mansion in the affluent Waterkloof suburb of Pretoria. Pistorius will reportedly live in a five-star cottage in the grounds of the converted Dutch Reform Church, kitted out with panic alarms, a gatehouse and armed security.

An Aerial view of Oscar Pistorius uncles home in Waterkloof on March 1, 2014, in Pretoria, South Africa. (Getty)

Arnold's mansion is itself patrolled by armed guards with attack dogs and there is razor wire fencing surrounding the property. Security could be critical for Pistorius, who has faced intimidation from figures from the South African underworld since his crime. Self-confessed contract killer Mikey Schultz unsettled the former athlete during his trial as did a second hardman, Marc Batchelor, who was killed in a gangland-style hit when Pistorius was inside.

You can read the rest of our story by Features Writer Vikki White, HERE.

Pistorius released under cover of night to avoid being 'paraded'

The announcement confirming Pistorius had been released came at around 8:30 a.m. this morning, indicating corrections officials had released the world-famous double-amputee Olympic runner from the Atteridgeville Correctional Center in the South African capital, Pretoria, in the early hours.

Photographers could be seen outside the prison this morning, but Pistorius was likely already back home as they were setting up.

Department of Corrections officials previously said that Pistorius' release time on Friday would not be announced in advance.

They added he would not be "paraded," indicating they will attempt to keep him away from the media glare that has trailed him since he shot Steenkamp multiple times through a toilet door at his home in the predawn hours of Feb. 14, 2013

In Pictures: Scenes before his release

(AP)

Steenkamp’s family did not oppose Pistorius parole application

Reports now have said that Pistorius parole application was not opposed by the family of Ms Steenkamp.

However, Ms Steenkamp's mother submitted a victim statement to the board, which said she didn't think Pistorius had been fully rehabilitated and that he was lying about the killing.

The South African corrections Department has repeated the statement it uses for most parolees, that his release does not mean he has served his time.

June Steenkamp, mother of murder victim Reeva Steenkamp, arrives to the Atteridgeville Prison where the parole hearing for Oscar Pistorius is taking place, in Pretoria, South Africa (KIM LUDBROOK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Pistorius plans to watch Brit blockbuster as soon as he's released

Pistorius reportedly told friends he plans to watch British gangster flick Snatch and US war epic Full Metal Jacket when he's released from prison.

What happens after he's released from jail?

Pistorius is a free man after being granted the opportunity for parole during the trial for killing Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.

He has now been released under South Africa's restorative justice programme and will be under supervision of South Africa's Department of Correctional Services, similar to the UK probation system.

According to reports, Pistorius will be staying with family, at his uncle's £2million, 12-bedroom mansion in Waterkloof, an exclusive suburb of Pretoria.

Pistorius leaves the High Court in Pretoria (AFP/Getty Images)

The Paralympian has received death threats, and his uncle has whistled in a pack of attack dogs and installed razor wire fences around the converted church.

Pistorius will be living in a five-star cottage on the grounds, complete with panic alarms and armed security.

Oscar Pistorius released from jail

Oscar Pistorius has been enrolled in South Africa's probation system and has returned to his home, according to South Africa’s Correctional Services Department.

The crime in detail

The Olympian and double amputee has been in a South African prison since he was found guilty of the manslaughter of his model girlfriend on Valentine's Day 2013. Pistorius, now 37, claimed he thought Ms Steenkamp was an intruder and that shooting her four times was a mistake.

Steenkamp’s killing happened when Pistorius was at the height of his fame and just months after he had become the first double-amputee to compete at the Olympics in 2012. He was also a multiple Paralympic sprinting champion and one of the sport’s most marketable figures, having overcome the amputation of both his legs below the knee as a baby to run on specially designed carbon-fibre blades. Pistorius was revealed to have been a gun fanatic who once fired a gun in a restaurant and had 10 weapons, including an AK-47.

(AFP/Getty Images)

At his murder trial, he claimed he shot Steenkamp, 29, by mistake with his licensed 9mm pistol because he believed she was a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom in the middle of the night. Pistorius has not been seen for nearly a decade, although there have been occasional glimpses of his time in prison.

He sustained an injury in an altercation with another inmate over a prison telephone in 2017. A year earlier, he received treatment for injuries to his wrists, which his family denied were a result of him harming himself and said were instead caused by him falling in his cell.

Who is Oscar Pistorius?

Oscar Pistorius is a South African athlete currently who was sentenced for killing his girlfriend Reeve Steenkamp in 2013.

After competing in the Paralympic Games, in 2012 the 'Blade Runner' became the first double amputee runner to take part in the Olympics However on February 14, 2013 he shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp. After initially being found guilty of 'culpable homicide', he was later convicted on appeal of murdering his girlfriend.