Oscar Pistorius spent £1 million on legal fees during his murder trial

 Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius spent nearly £1million defending himself in his murder trial - with nearly half the bill still unpaid, it emerged today.

The athlete is believed to have paid his legal team as much as £5,400 a day to fight the charge that he murdered his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp during his seven-month trial.

But sources close to the Paralympian's legal team said his lawyers were forced to represent him for free for the last two months because he had run out of money.

It is believed the runner, who once earned £300,000 a year from sponsorship alone, still owes around R10m (£560,000) from a total bill of R17m (£995,000

The debt has raises questions about who might defend the disgraced athlete if state prosecutors appeal the decision to acquit him of murder, which must be made by November 4. 

The family are understood to be disputing the bill, with one source saying there was 'definitely great unhappiness' about the fees.

Pistorius’s uncle, Arnold Pistorius, has also told family members he is considering having the bill 'taxed and assessed', it was reported by South Africa's City Press newspaper.

Pistorius was jailed for five years last week for manslaughter after shooting Miss Steenkamp through a locked toilet door at his home in Pretoria last year.

He was acquitted of murder after a trial which was initally only scheduled to last three weeks.

The costs are said to include at least three full-time lawyers in court, ballistics and forensics experts as well as an American crime scene reconstruction company. 

His lawyer Barry Roux had told the court how the multiple parayalmpic gold medallist – who also competed in the 2012 London Olympics - had been left with 'nothing' since the shooting last Valentine’s Day. 

‘He was on the rise, he was like an icon in the eyes of South Africa, he was going to make lots of money. 

'There is nothing left of this man. He’s not only broke, he’s broken.'

‘He lost all his sponsors, he lost all his money he has nothing. He hasn’t even the money to pay for legal expenses.' 

In August, he was forced to sell the home where the fatal shooting took place for £250,000 - £100,000 less than the asking price. 

Since the shooting in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year, Pistorius has been living at his uncle's house in Pretoria.

A confidant of Mr Roux told City Press: 'Barry has said not everything is about money, and he is extremely doubtful he will ever see what he is owed.'

The Pistorius family spokeswoman, Anneliese Burgess, did not reply to a request for comment.

Culled from DAILY MAIL