A South African magistrate adjourned the bail hearing held at a Pretoria court for global track star Oscar Pistorius until 0700 GMT on Wednesday.
(http://www.channelstv.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Pistorius-Day-3-300x191.jpg) (http://www.channelstv.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Pistorius-Day-3.jpg)Pistorius has been charged with murdering his girlfriend at his Pretoria home last week.
The Paralympic star denied murdering his girlfriend and said he thought he was firing at an intruder when he shot her at his home.
He told a bail hearing that he loved her and never intended to kill her.
Prosecutors accuse him of premeditated murder. They told the Pretoria court that Mr Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp dead by firing though a bathroom door.
The hearing came as the victim's family held a funeral for her.
Tuesday's hearing began with the prosecution giving its account of the killing, which it says was premeditated murder by the 26-year-old athlete.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the court that on the evening of 14 February, Mr Pistorius – a double amputee – had got up from bed, put on his prostheses, walked seven metres (24ft) and fired his gun through the door of the small bathroom.
He shot four times and hit Ms Steenkamp three times, Mr Nel said.
He added that the defendant later broke down the bathroom door and carried the body downstairs, Mr Nel added.
'Pitch dark'
Defence lawyer Barry Roux then read a statement from Mr Pistorius, saying the couple had decided to spend that evening at home.
They were in the bedroom when at one point Oscar Pistorius went to the balcony and heard a noise, the statement said.
"It was pitch dark in the bedroom," it added. "I did not have my prosthetic legs on and felt extremely vulnerable."
According to the statement, the defendant believed there was an intruder in the bathroom and that Ms Steenkamp was still in bed.
It said the couple loved each other and that Mr Pistorius had no intention of killing Ms Steenkamp.
The athlete was sobbing in court, correspondents say.
Meanwhile, the private funeral for the 29-year-old former model was held in her home town of Port Elizabeth,
Her father, Barry Steenkamp, told reporters: "We have to keep Reeva in our hearts forever".
A hearse took Steenkamp's body to the Victoria Park Crematorium in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth for a private funeral attended by more than 100 relatives and friends.
"Without a doubt he's a danger to the public. He'll be a danger to witnesses. He must stay in jail. He's already shown how dangerous he can be for what he did to Reeva," said Gavin Venter, an ex-jockey who worked for Steenkamp's father.
"She was an angel, she was so soft, so innocent. Such a lovely person. It's just sad that this could happen to somebody so good," Venter said.
While the funeral was being held, Pistorius was at a bail hearing in a Pretoria court about 900 kms (560 miles) to the north, where a prosecutor said he fired four shots last week at a cowering Steenkamp through a bathroom door at his luxury home.
Pistorius's lawyer said there was no murder case.
In Port Elizabeth, friends of Steenkamp walked up a path to the crematorium, some holding hands or carrying flowers.
After the hour-long ceremony, relatives stood outside and friends paid their condolences, hugging Steenkamp's parents, in the serene wooded area dotted with tombstones.
"It was a total shock. It is only sinking in right now," said former classmate Bongiwe Gaxamba, 29, wearing the blue blazer with yellow stripes from their high school.
The killing of law school graduate Steenkamp, 30, has once again highlighted South Africa's dismal record of violence against women – on average, a woman is raped every four minutes, and one is killed every eight hours by her partner or relative.
The country is still reeling from the murder this month of 17-year-old Anene Booysen, who was gang-raped, mutilated and left for dead on a building site.
"This is not acceptable and our women need to be protected," said Troy Martens, a spokeswoman for the ruling ANC party's Women's League, which held a protest outside the Pretoria court demanding Pistorius be denied bail.
Just days before she was killed, Steenkamp sent tweets offering her support for Booysen and the victims of intercourseual violence in the country.
Reeva's uncle, Mike Steenkamp, told reporters through tears after the funeral his niece wanted to be an activist for ending abuse against women.
"Unfortunately it has swung right around, but I think that the Lord knows that her statement is more powerful now."
Reeva's brother Adam told reporters: "There's a space missing inside all the people that she knew that can't be filled again. We are going to keep all the positive things that we remember and know about my sister.
"We will miss her."
Via: ChannelsTV