Oscar Pistorius 'shoots dead girlfriend' in suspected Valentine's Day surprise gone wrong

South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been arrested over the fatal shooting of his girlfriend in what might have been a Valentine’s Day surprise gone wrong.

The woman is believed to be Reeva Steenkamp, a 30-year-old former FHM model who has been dating Pistorius since November 2012.

Police said a 26-year-old man, who they have not named, was in custody and a case of murder was being investigated.

A police statement said a 30-year-old woman was "fatally wounded" in the early hours of Thursday morning at a home in the Silverlakes complex in the Boschkop area of the capital. The incident is said to have taken place between 4am and 5am local time.

Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk

myprint-247

View details

Print voucher

Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.

Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

Contact: 01858 468192

Valid until: Sunday, June 30 2013

The woman was shot in the head and upper body. Paramedics were at the house when police arrived, but she died at the scene. A 9mm pistol was recovered.

Reports say Steenkamp may have been mistaken for a burglar.

South African journalist Kalay Maistry told Sky News: “It is alleged that he thought his girlfriend, who’d come in to try to surprise him for Valentine's Day, was an intruder. It’s alleged that he shot her in the arm and head.

“I think what this actually highlights is the level of fear ordinary South Africans have. This is a man who has gone to bed, it’s an innocent surprise from a girlfriend … and the moment he thinks someone is trying to break in he grabs his gun.

“This has come as a complete surprise for a man who’s considered a national hero.”

Former FHM model Reeva Steenkamp yesterday asked her Twitter followers about their Valentine’s Day plans:

On Saturday the model wrote:

And earlier this month she urged Twitter users to follow Pistorius:

Pistorius, 26, was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics. He races wearing carbon fibre prosthetic blades after he was born without a fibula in both legs.

Dubbed the "blade runner", he is considered one of South Africa's national icons.