Oscar Pistorius offered 375,000 South African rand (£21,000) to the family of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp after he killed her, but they rejected it because they did not want "blood money", a court has been told.

Chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel also yesterday referred to separate monthly payments of 6,000 rand (£340) the Olympic and Paralympic athlete apparently made to Ms Steenkamp's parents after they asked for help, during Pistorius's sentencing hearing in Pretoria for her culpable homocide. Mr Nel said those payments would be returned in full.

The revelations emerged while Mr Nel was cross-examining a social worker over what Pistorius' punishment should be for shooting his girlfriend on Valentine's Day, 2013.

Annette Vergeer told the court in Pretoria that the Olympic and Paralympic runner should be placed under house arrest, rather than sent to prison, after he was found guilty of culpable homicide.

Ms Vergeer said South African jails are violent and overcrowded, and the double amputee would be under duress because of his disability and fragile mental state resulting from the night he fired four times through a toilet door in his home, killing Ms Steenkamp.

Pistorius claimed he mistook her for an intruder, and denied prosecution assertions that he shot her during an argument.

Ms Vergeer said Pistorius has the potential to be a productive member of society again and a sentence of house arrest and work at a school for disabled children would be more appropriate.

The hearing was adjourned until today.