Oscar Pistorius' life in prison including being beaten up, complaints and meeting Reeva Steenkamp's father

It was a case that shocked the world, with Pistorius the poster boy of Paralympic sport at the time of the incident.

He was sentenced to 13 years and five months for the murder, with Steenkamp's family still mourning the loss of the 29-year-old today. GB News now takes a look at his time behind bars.

Kgosi Mampuru II maximum security prison

Pistorius' first year in prison was spent at the notorious Kgosi Mampuru II maximum security prison, which is the home to South Africa's most dangerous criminals.

Violent gangs reportedly rule the facility and Pistorius was protected during his stint there.

Because of his fame and disability, he was housed in the hospital wing of the prison. Staff told the Daily Mail it was 'very secure, very clean and nice and neat'.

However, despite the treatment he was given, the South African was unhappy with the conditions.

Pistorius had a bath built for him and got his bed replaced, too.

He raised concerns that his food might by poisoned and, therefore, chose to buy processed food.

Pistorius was reportedly desperate to leave and feared returning when he was moved to a lower security prison.

Atteridgeville prison

After his time at the Kgosi Mampuru II maximum security prison, the 36-year-old was moved to Atteridgeville prison.

Described as 'more suited to him due to his disability', he was believed to be the only murderer housed there.

The facility itself housed just 1,000 convicts and had a 'relaxed family atmosphere'.

One of Pistorius' own relatives said it was the 'best place he could be as a prisoner'.

After being considered low risk, he was given a specially adapted en-suite bathroom and was allowed to grow his own food in the gardens.

Atteridgeville brawl

While Pistorius continues to serve his time at Atteridge ahead of Friday's parole hearing, his period there hasn't been without incident.

The Paralympian was allegedly involved in a fight with an inmate from a neighbouring cell over the use of a public phone back in 2017.

Prison staff said Pistorius was the only person injured in the brawl.

Prison spokesman, Singabakho Nxumalo, said at the time: "It is alleged that he was involved in an altercation with another inmate over the use of a public phone in the special care unit where both offenders are detained at Attridgeville Correctional Centre."

He also told the BBC the department had launched an investigation to 'establish the facts and ensure that appropriate action is taken as incidents of assault are not allowed'.

Turning to God

In 2018, reports said Pistorius had adopted the role of a spiritual leader in prison.

He reportedly became the leader of a Bible group and was helping other inmates with Christianity.

Henke Pistorius, the athlete's father, said his son had 'always been a child of God'.

He also said: "I have no doubt that Oscar has changed the environment in the prison for the better, he is helping to mediate between people and is having a positive influence.

"He can feel he is making a difference to others who really needed a difference to be made — to give their lives meaning, purpose and some hope.
"As a result, things have also improved for him. It's a wonderful story.

"They are hardcore chaps, the problem people in the prison, but now they are all meeting to follow the Bible once or twice a week."

That same year, a source in the Department of Correctional Services said Pistorius was a 'model prisoner'.

They were quoted as saying: "The Oscar I've come to know in jail is kind-hearted and cares for his fellow inmates.

"He buys food for those who can't afford it or those who are far away from their relatives. And he does this without asking for anything in return."

They added: "Oscar also doesn't deny what he did and shows remorse every day without faking it or to manipulate people's opinions.

"This is the side he shows in jail and people should stop judging him.

"He likes his privacy and spends a lot of his time reading and visiting the prison library. He's a real bookworm."

LATEST SPORTS NEWS:

• Transgender athletes banned from women's cricket as ICC release statement explaining decision
• Lewis Hamilton replacement revealed ahead of F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
• Curse of the Springboks strikes again as FIFTH member of World Cup winning team dies in freak accident

The suffering of the Steenkamps

Barry Steenkamp, Reeva's father, died in September.

Before his death he decided to meet with Pistorius. However, he failed to get the answers he wanted and said Pistorius still denied murder - insisting he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder.

"I told Oscar directly that he had shot my daughter deliberately and he denied it. He stuck to his story that he thought it was an intruder," he said in February.

"After all these years we are still waiting for him to admit he did it in anger. That is all we wanted.

"If he told me the truth, he would have been a free man by now and I would have let the law take its course over his parole.

"But I was wasting my time. He is a murderer. He should remain in jail."

Reeva's mother, June, has revealed she couldn't attend the meeting because she didn't want to end up in prison herself.

"I couldn't see myself going without hurting him," she said.

"I didn't want to go to jail for attacking him. That would have been a great possibility.

"Things haven't got better. It gets worse as the time goes by because we miss Reeva every day that she is not here with us.

"It's very, very stressful that she couldn't spend our last days with us because he took her.

"Oscar has taken a lot away from us and from her.

"So now instead of getting upset, I get anger. I am angry with him. It is a horrible thing to say, but I can't stand him.

"I don't think that he got enough time and if somebody takes a life they must pay with their life in jail.

"He has taken her life away from us. Everything that we would have had with the joyfulness of having her.

"Reeva was a wonderful daughter, and she never made a wrong move in her life. She never stressed us out with anything. She was just a perfect person and a loving person for both of us.

"That has gone, but we think of her all the time.

"Those are the hardest of things. She wanted to have children and she wanted to get married. But she got involved with the wrong person.

"I have become another person too. People ask me what defines me, and it is Reeva's death.

"I am not the same person. I feel that and when I look in the mirror, I am not seeing me.

"I have lost the big something in my life. It is too much. She was everything to us. She was our whole life and now we haven't got her anymore.

"He never showed any remorse to Barry whatsoever. He is a murderer."