OSCAR Pistorius has been freed from jail nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The disgraced former Paralympian, 37, served over half of his sentence in a South Africa prison after he was locked up in 2016.
He was granted parole in November and has already returned home following his release.
Pistorius is believed to be staying at his uncle’s mansion in Pretoria.
Pistorious shot dead model Reeva, 29, with four bullets fired through the locked door of their bathroom in the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013.
After a round of appeals and challenges, Pistorius – dubbed the “Blade Runner” because of his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs – was sentenced to 13 years and five months for murder.
Pistorius has always claimed the horrific 2013 shooting was a mistake, saying he thought she was an intruder.
He shot her in the head, hip and arm and later claimed in court that it was only when he broke the bathroom door down that he realised she was in there.
Despite claims from prison officials that he would be subject to the same treatment as other inmates, Pistorius was given a private exit to quietly slip from the jail early on Friday morning.
The convicted killer was able to travel to his uncle’s home in a police escort unnoticed, despite dozens of press waiting outside the jail’s primary exit.
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His parole will last until December 2029 and he will be subjected to certain conditions for life outside jail.
The former “blade runner” will also have to attend therapy for anger and “gender-based violence issues”.
Pistorius will also complete community service.
Judges in South Africa previously admitted they failed to fully backdate Pistorious’ jail term when he was first convicted.
It meant that 506 days he had already served were not included – and made him eligible for parole in March 2023 instead of late 2024.
Pistorious was then denied parole during a closed-door hearing and was set to face another seven years behind bars before his November bid for freedom.
As part of his rehabilitation, Pistorius met June and Barry in 2022.
Barry revealed the runner “wailed like a child” as he tried to explain his actions and refused to accept he was a murderer.
British-born June told Mail Online ahead of Pistorius’ release that she has lost hope he will ever tell the truth about the night of her daughter’s murder.
She also blames the former athlete for the death of her husband, who she believes died of a broken heart just weeks before Pistorius’ parole hearing in November.
The killer spent his time behind bars in two South Africa prisons and was given added protection due to his fame and dangerous enemies.
He lived in a tiny room with just family photos, a prayer pillow and some books.
Most recently locked up at the low-security Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria, Pistorius reportedly had some protection from a dozen inmates who he considered trusted friends and special measures to ensure his safety.
But police have warned him he will forever be a target for underworld figures and angry friends of his victim Reeva Steenkamp’s late father Barry following his release.
Now he will have to rely for protection on his uncle Arnold, who is to house him at his £2 million, three-storey mansion in Pretoria’s exclusive Waterkloof suburb.
Tycoon Arnold, who made millions from property and tourism, has hired armed guards with attack dogs.
He has also put up razor wire and electric fences around the 12- bedroom converted church to keep his nephew safe.
Pistorius, who won two golds and a silver at the 2012 London Paralympics — and competed in the Olympics too — will live in a five-star cottage in the grounds, complete with panic alarms, a front gatehouse and armed security protecting the rear.
Mark Williams-Thomas, a journalist and friend in regular contact with Pistorius during his time in prison, spoke to The Times about the security.
He thinks Pistorius, who has been a target for South Africa’s notorious prison gangs, will need it.
“There is still a lot of anger out there and no doubt there are those who would love the scalp of Oscar Pistorius,” he said.
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The same report described Pistorius as “unrecognisable” and a “grey and bloated smoker”.
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