Oscar Pistorius is reportedly holding confidential talks to settle a lawsuit with a woman who previously charged him with assault. Source: AFP
Olympian sprinter Oscar Pistorius and late girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who he shot dead on Valentine's Day. Source: AFP
OSCAR Pistorius, charged with murdering his girlfriend, is holding "confidential" talks to resolve a lawsuit against a woman who had accused him of assault.
"There are confidential settlement negotiations under way," his lawyer, Gary Pritchard, said.
The Paralympic and Olympic sprinter is suing his former neighbour Cassidy Taylor-Memmory, who in 2009 said he slammed a door at her during a party at his house.
He was arrested and spent a night in jail, but police later dropped the charge.
"It was a couple of years back. He claimed damages to his reputation from her," Pritchard told AFP of the 2.2 million rand ($240,000)lawsuit.
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The case is due to come before a regional court in Pretoria, the weekly Mail & Guardian reported Friday, but the athlete is working to resolve it quietly.
"We are trying to settle outside of court," Mr Pritchard said.
Pistorius was released on bail a week ago after prosecutors charged him with intentionally shooting dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, 29, on Valentine's Day.
He claims he mistook her for an intruder in the dead of night.
An official at a South African gun collectors' club where Oscar Pistorius was a member says he steadily became an avid collector of firearms in his Olympic year. He says Pistorius bought a collection of pistols and shotguns, all American manufactured, his favorite.
John Beare, vice chairman of the Lowveld Firearm Collectors Association, told The Associated Press that Pistorius also purchased a semi-automatic rifle for his expanding collection at the end of 2012.
That coincided with the early stages of Pistorius' romance with Reeva Steenkamp, the model he shot and killed at his home in the early hours of Feb. 14.
Prosecutors have charged Pistorius with premeditated murder for killing Steenkamp with three of four shots fired from his 9 mm pistol. Pistorius said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder.
The previous assault charge was brought up in Pistorius's bail hearing on the murder charges and the same police officer investigated both cases.
Warrant officer Hilton Botha in 2009 rejected Taylor-Memmory's assault claims after investigation.
Last week, Pistorius's legal team cast doubt over his testimony and policing after Steenkamp's killing.
WO Botha was pulled from the Steenkamp murder case after it emerged that he was himself facing charges of attempted murder for shooting at a minibus.
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