Pistorius's brother on death charge

Aimee, Carl and Henke Pistorius have taken the same seats each day during the dramatic and emotional bail hearing for Oscar Pistorius, charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. AFP Source: AFP

THE brother of accused murderer Oscar Pistorius is himself facing a charge of culpable homicide, it has been revealed on a day in which reports also said that police found a herbal sexual stimulant in the star athlete's home.

Carl Pistorius was charged over the death of a woman who died when her motorbike collided with his car outside Johannesburg in 2008, his lawyer Kenny Oldwage said.

Oscar Pistorius, who has been charged with the Valentine's Day shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was granted bail on Friday.

Mr Oldwage said in a statement that Carl had been involved in a car accident "in which a woman motorcyclist sadly lost her life". He said that "there is no doubt that Carl is innocent and the charge will be challenged in court".

The elder brother of athlete Oscar Pistorius was supposed to have gone on trial for culpable homicide on Thursday - the day before the Olympian got bail, according to South African media reports.

Carl Pistorius and lawyer Kenny Oldwage pictured outside Brooklyn police station, where Oscar Pistorius was being held, last week.

Mr Oldwage said that "Carl deeply regrets the accident" and that a blood test showed he was not drunk at the time. "It was a tragic road accident after the deceased collided with Carl's car."

He said the charges had initially been dropped, only to be reinstated later.

Oscar Pistorius and his brother Carl were seen driving into the home of their uncle Arnold today in Waterkloof, a wealthy suburb of Pretoria, the nation's capital, where Oscar is now staying.

'Sex stimulant, not steroids, found in home'

Meanwhile, a South African newspaper reported that a substance found in Oscar Pistorius's home during a search by police investigating the killing of his girlfriend is a herbal sexual stimulant, a South African newspaper reported.

The prosecution said during Pistorius' bail hearing last week that police had found two boxes of "testosterone" and needles in his Pretoria home, but the defence countered that it was a legal herbal remedy known as testocompasutium coenzyme.

The City Press newspaper said the remedy was a combination of vitamins and herbal cures partly derived from animal organs.

Sports physician Jon Patricios told the paper the product is used to boost sexual energy, but that athletes are not advised to use it since it may increase their testosterone levels.

"This is not an anabolic steroid and it is unlikely it will lead to irrational anger," he said.

The National Prosecuting Authority has said it was awaiting the results of forensic tests to determine what the product is.

Charges against Carl compound problems

The problems surrounding his older brother Carl, 28, are the latest twist in a case that has transfixed South Africa and much of the world. The revelation of the culpable homicide charge immediately created a stir.

"It's also doubly sad because it's involved with Oscar and his brother and all the family - so they have double sort of trouble. So, not good," said Johannesburg resident Jim Plester.

Carl Pistorius's trial was pushed back a month, but the specific date is not known. The Pistorius family has yet to react to the accusations that Carl is facing.

The latest developments comes just days after Hilton Botha, the lead detective investigating the Oscar Pistorius murder case, was dropped after it emerged he was facing seven attempted murder charges over a shooting incident in 2011.

Along with his sister Aimee and father Henke, Carl Pistorius has been a strong source of comfort and support to his Paralympian brother, attending last week's bail hearings.

Carl Pistorius's Twitter account was taken down this weekend after a hacker sent a tweet thanking everyone for supporting the families of Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp.

"Carl did not tweet this afternoon, out of respect to Oscar and Reeva," family spokesman Janine Hills said in a statement. "We are busy cancelling all the social media sites for both Oscar's brother and his sister."

Questions raised over Oscar Pistorius's character

The character of Oscar Pistorius also continued to take centre stage. For many, it mirrors his public appearances as an articulate, well-spoken advocate for Paralympic athletes facing hardship. Witness statements backing up Oscar Pistorius as a down-to-earth guy were presented at the hearing.

Others have described him as a reckless risk taker who has been in trouble before, such as a boat accident in 2009 which put him into the hospital.

Today, a South African man who said Steenkamp had stayed at his home since September, described Pistorius as moody and impatient. Cecil Myers, whose daughter was a close friend of Steenkamp's, said in an interview published in the City Press, that Pistorius will have the killing of Steenkamp on his conscience. "I hope he gets a long sentence. Gets what he deserves," said Mr Myers.

"Very nice and charming to us when they started dating," said Mr Myers. Mr Myers said Pistorius initially used to come into the house but later just dropped Steenkamp off and picked her up when they began to date steadily, and he described the change as a lack of respect.

Mr Myers recalled their first date and told the newspaper: "After that he wouldn't leave her alone. He kept pestering her, phoning and phoning and phoning her."

According to Mr Myers, Steenkamp "told me he pushed her a bit into a corner. She felt caged in."

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