Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail of R1-million in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court.

The sports star is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day (14 February 2013).

Pistorius has denied deliberately shooting her, claiming that he mistook her for an intruder.

"... I come to the conclusion the accused has made a case to be released on bail," said Magistrate Desmond Nair.

The State failed to prove that Oscar Pistorius was a flight risk, Nair said.

"I cannot find that it has been established that the accused is a flight risk," said Nair.

Nair said the investigating officer Warrant Officer Hilton Botha did not spend enough time showing that Pistorius had a propensity to commit violence.

He brought reports of alleged vulgar language and threats and a gun discharged under a table, but did not provide details

Nair stuck to his decision to treat the charge against Oscar Pistorius as a schedule six offence, but made it clear it was not up to him to find him guilty or not.

"I am not here at this point in time to find the accused guilty of pre-meditated murder," Nair said in summing up Pistorius' bail application in the court.

This was for a trial judge to decide, he said.

He explained the checklists that courts had to consider when granting bail.

"The issue is not guilt, but where the interests of justice lie in relation to bail," said Nair.

During his ruling, Nair paused to check on Pistorius as the athlete cried.

"Are you okay there?" asked Nair, pausing briefly, then continuing.

Nair also noted photographers and cameramen "zooming in, zooming in on the accused, flashing at will, and I have on my own witnessed this happening".

He said: "The applicant sometimes comes out of the police cells, stands in the dock, and perhaps unintentionally a large contingent of photographers and journalists flash at him and it does raise at him that the accused is perhaps some kind of species that the world has not seen before."

Pistorius was allowed to be held at the police cells to avoid delays in his consultations with his counsel, said Nair.

"I do however wish to stress that I am not creating any precedent."

As part of the bail conditions, Pistorius will not be allowed to return to the scene of the shooting, cannot talk to residents and will be required to hand over his passports. 

Pistorius will also be required to report to the Brooklyn police station every Monday and Friday and has to hand in all firearms.