The judge overseeing trial of Oscar Pistorius has ordered that the defendant undergo psychiatric tests.
The ruling, made in court on Wednesday, means that the trial proceedings will be further delayed.
Judge Thokozile Masipa’s decision followed a request made by chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel.
Nel made his plea after a psychiatrist who served as one of the expert witnesses for the defense testified that Olympic medalist Pistorius had an anxiety disorder. It was suggested that the disorder may have played a role when the athlete shot and killed his partner Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorious stands accused of the murder of his girlfriend Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day, 2013. He maintains that the killing was a mistake, and that he believed there was an intruder in his home.
