Oscar Pistorius: Jailed Olympian denies injuries to wrists were 'a suicide attempt'

Former track star claims he suffered injuries after falling out of bed in his cell

In the documentary, Pistorius gives his account of what happened the night he killed his girlfriend (ITV)

Oscar Pistorius has denied injuries to his wrists sustained in prison were “a suicide attempt", a South African prison spokesman has said.

Pistorius claimed he fell out of bed in his cell at the prison where he is serving a six-year sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

"Oscar Pistorius denied speculations of a suicide attempt. As a policy principle, we cannot further discuss a particular offender's personal condition in the public domain," Manelisi Wolela, a spokesman at the Department of Correctional Services, told Reuters.

Singabakho Nxumalo, a spokesman for the correctional services department, did not provide any detail of the injuries, but said the Olympian was treated in hospital for minor injuries to his wrists and returned to prison on Saturday.

An investigation is under way, Mr Nxumalo added.

His family spokeswoman, Anneliese Burgess, told Reuters the family would not issue a statement at this stage.

His brother posted on Twitter to say Pistorius was in good spirits and is "doing well given the circumstances".

He called reports the athlete had tried to injure himself "completely untrue and sensational".

Last month, South African prosecutors said they would appeal against Pistorius’s six-year jail sentence, saying it was too lenient.

Pistorius had his jail term for killing Reeva Steenkamp increased from five to six years in July, less than half the 15 years sought by prosecutors.

Pistorius shot Ms Steenkamp four times through a locked bathroom door in his home on Valentine's Day 2013. He has always maintained he believed she was an intruder.

Graphic crime scene photographs of Ms Steenkamp's body were made public at the request of her father.

Barry Steenkamp broke down in the witness box as he told the court how he and his wife have struggled to cope since his daughter’s murder.

While speaking of the emotional impact of his daughter’s death, he said he wanted “the world to see” the photos as a warning to anyone thinking of using firearms.

Following the sentencing, Judge Thokozile Masipa was branded an “embarrassment to the justice system” by a women's rights group for handing down a six-year sentence for murder.

Members of the Women's League of the ruling African National Congress (ANCWL) said the sentence handed down by Judge Masipa was insufficient.

Additional reporting by agencies