Oscar Pistorius Caught Up in Nightclub Row in Joburg

South African double amputee athlete, Oscar Pistorius, has been accused of indulging in an altercation with a businessman at a nightclub in Johannesburg’s upmarket suburb of Sandton. Mr Pistorius, whose murder trial was adjourned last week for closing arguments on 7 August, was involved in an argument at the nightclub at the weekend, his spokesperson has said. He had an altercation with Jared Mortimer who said he was drunk, The Star newspaper says. Oscar Pistorius Was Involved In a Nightclub Argument With a Johannesburg Businessman on Sunday. Mr Pistorius’ spokesperson said the argument took place after Mr Mortimer started to “aggressively interrogate” him about his murder trial. Mr Mortimer said he got entangled in a row with the ‘Blade Runner, after the athlete insulted his friends and South African President Jacob Zuma’s family. “I took that personally because I am very good friends with a member of the Zuma family,” Mr Mortimer is quoted as saying. Mr Mortimer said Pistorius was intoxicated and started to poke him in the chest while they were discussing issues. “He was close to my face and at that point I pushed him to get him away from me. A chair was behind his legs and he fell to the ground,” Mortimer said. The club bouncers helped Mr Pistorius up but were ordered to remove him after he got involved in more trouble; “a confrontation with another man”. Aneliese Burgess, a spokeswoman for Mr Pistorius family disputes Mr Mortimer’s version of events. Mr Pistorius was in the VIP section of the club when a man who has since been identified as Mr Mortimer approached him. “The individual in question, according to my client, started to aggressively engage him on matters relating to the trial,” said Burgess. “An argument ensued during which (Pistorius) asked to be left alone. Oscar left soon thereafter with his cousin. “Our client regrets the decision to go into a public place and thereby inviting unwelcome attention.” On Sunday, hours after the incident, Pistorius tweeted for the first time since the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Mr Pistorius denies murdering Steenkamp. He says he mistook her for an intruder, but the prosecution says he deliberately shot her dead after an argument. If found guilty of murder, the 27-year-old would face life imprisonment. The court could however consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could- if convicted- receive about 15 years in prison.