A South African court on Tuesday postponed the murder trial of Olympic double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius to August 19.

Pistorius was charged with premeditated murder over the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, at his home on February 14.

The prosecution had asked the Pretoria Magistrates Court to delay the trial, saying they needed more time to investigate. Magistrate Daniel Thulare agreed to the postponement after the defence said it had no objection.

A scrum of photographers snapped Pistorius’ picture as he arrived for the brief hearing, appearing calm. Relatives of the 26-year-old athlete known as Blade Runner were also in the packed courtroom.

Thulare warned against a “trial by media” in the case that has drawn wide international interest. He also criticized police and prosecutors over information leaked to the media, including photographs of the blood-splattered bathroom where Steenkamp was shot.

In the wake of the shooting, Pistorius said he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder.

The couple had been dating for just a few months. Steenkamp’s mother June has said the two had had heated rows.

“I want to know why he shot her, she must have been so afraid in that toilet,” she was quoted in media reports this week.

“We don’t know what happened, only one person who knows what happened.” Pistorius won numerous medals in the Paralympic Games and became the first amputee runner to compete in the Olympics at the London games last year.

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