A psychiatrist who evaluated Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius in the trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, has suffered a heart attack.<\/p>\n
But this is not expected to delay the trial, which resumes on Monday, the prosecution say.<\/p>\n
Mr Pistorius is due to complete a 30-day psychiatric assessment on Friday.<\/p>\n
The judge in his trial ordered the tests after a defence witness said the double amputee was suffering from Generalised Anxiety Disorder (Gad).<\/p>\n
Mr Pistorius denies intentionally killing his girlfriend and says he accidentally shot her through the toilet door on Valentine’s Day last year in a state of panic, mistaking the 29-year-old model and law graduate for an intruder.<\/p>\n
Mr Pistorius checked in as a day patient to Pretoria’s Weskoppies psychiatric hospital on 26 May, where he has been assessed by a team of health experts for seven hours a day.<\/p>\n
Three psychiatrists and a clinical psychologist were tasked to determine whether his state of mind and disability had an effect on him when he shot Ms Steenkamp.<\/p>\n
South Africa’s eNCA broadcaster earlier reported that the psychiatrist’s heart attack may have caused a delay in the handing over of the Paralympian’s psychiatric evaluation report.<\/p>\n
The psychiatrist in question, Dr Leon Fine, had not yet signed the report, according to\u00a0eNCA’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n The prosecution had argued the tests were essential after forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster, who diagnosed the athlete with Gad, told the court he was “a danger to society”.<\/p>\n The defence vigorously opposed the move.<\/p>\n The court in Pretoria is expected to hear the outcome of the medical tests when the trial resumes on Monday.<\/p>\n South Africa’s eNCA broadcaster earlier reported that the psychiatrist’s heart attack may have caused a delay in the handing over of the Paralympian’s psychiatric evaluation report.<\/p>\n