Pretoria – Murder-accused Oscar Pistorius would be admitted as a day patient at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital for mental observation, the North Gauteng High Court ordered on Tuesday.

“The accused [must] be an outpatient at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital,” Judge Thokozile Masipa said.

She said the athlete should go in on 26 May at 09:00. Pistorius would go in every weekday, she said.

“That the accused remains at the Weskoppies hospital until 16:00 daily,” she said.

She said the appointed psychiatrists and psychologist will submit reports as they are concluded.

Records of the trial proceedings must be made available, she said.

The matter was postponed to 30 June.

General anxiety disorder

Last Monday, forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster told the court Pistorius had general anxiety disorder. Based on this, the State applied to have him referred.

Nel said it was necessary to send Pistorius for evaluation in case the disorder might have affected his behaviour on 14 February last year, when he shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius is charged with murdering Steenkamp. He shot her dead through the locked door of his toilet at his Pretoria home.

Pistorius has denied guilt, saying he thought she was an intruder about to open the door and attack him. The State contends he shot her during an argument.

He is also charged with three contraventions of the Firearms Control Act – one of illegal possession of ammunition and two of discharging a firearm in public. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges as well.

SAPA