Bail hearing was postponed until February 19 by Pretoria Magistrate’s Court as Pistorius’ lawyer said his client showed up in an ‘extremely traumatized state.’

By Larry Mcshane AND Julian Rademeyer In Pretoria, South Africa / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

ANTOINE DE RAS/EPA

Oscar Pistorius weeps as he appears in the Pretoria magistrates court after spending the night in police custody in Pretoria, South Africa.

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA — South African Olympic hero Oscar Pistorius broke down in tears Friday after he was formally charged in court with the brutal gun murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home.

Prosecutors say they will pursue a premeditated murder charge against Pistorius, nicknamed the “Blade Runner.”

Pistorius broke down, his shoulders heaving as he sobbed.

“Take it easy,” Magistrate Desmond Nair told the crying Pistorius. “Come take a seat.”

There was an audible gasp as prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the presiding Magistrate Desmond Nair that prosecutors intended to argue that the Valentine’s Day shooting death of Pistorius’s model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp (30) was “premeditated murder.”

The bail hearing was postponed until Tuesday, Feb. 19 as Pistorius’ lawyer said his client was in an “extremely traumatized state.” Pistorius, who was led away with his head in his hands, will be kept in custody at the Brooklyn Police Station.

OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

South African Olympic hero Oscar Pistorius faces a premeditated murder charge just months after his inspirational run at the 2012 Games.

PHOTOS: OSCAR PISTORIUS CHARGED WITH MURDER OF REEVA STEENKAMP

Steenkamp, a model and budding reality TV show participant, was shot and killed at Pistorius’ upmarket home in an eastern suburb of the South African capital in the predawn hours of Thursday, sending the country reeling.

Pistorius’ home is in the Silverlakes gated community on the outskirts of the capital, police said. Steenkamp was shot four times, reportedly, in the head, chest, hand and pelvis.

The Afrikaans daily newspaper Beeld, reported that Steenkamp was behind a bathroom door in Pistorius’s house when she was shot.

Police had also reportedly been called to the house two hours before the shooting after neighbors complained of a loud argument between him and Steenkamp.

“We found a 9 mm pistol at the scene. A 26-year-old man was taken into custody,” police spokeswoman Katlego Mogale said. In South Africa police do not identify suspects until they are charged in court.

LUCKY NXUMALO/CITYPRESS/AP

In this Nov. 4, 2012 photo, South African Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp, believed to be his girlfriend, at an awards ceremony, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was taken into custody and was expected to appear in court Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, after a 30-year-old woman who was believed to be his girlfriend was shot dead at his home in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria.

No other suspect is involved, police added.

RELATED: REEVA STEENKAMP REMEMBERED FOR BEAUTY AND BRAINS

Steenkamp was reported to have been dating Pistorius for a few months. In the social pages of last weekend’s Sunday Independent, she described Pistorius as having “impeccable” taste.

“His gifts are always thoughtful,” she was quoted as saying.

Hours before her death she asked her thousands of Twitter followers what they were planning for Valentines’ Day: “What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited,” she wrote.

Steenkamp’s publicist, Sarit Tomlinson, told Sky News that “everyone is very devastated.”

CHRIS COLLINGRIDGE/AP

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, center. leaves the Boschkop police station, east of Pretoria, South Africa, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013 en route to appear in court charged with murder. Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was taken into custody and was expected to appear in court Thursday after a 30-year-old woman who was believed to be his girlfriend was shot dead at his home in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria.

Pistorius once had to take out his gun when his security alarm went off, although that turned out to be a false alarm, he told the New York Times last year. He also brought his 9 mm handgun to a shooting range with the Times reporter after the journalist said he never fired a gun.

“If you practiced, I think you could be pretty deadly,” Pistorius told the reporter. He added that he goes to shooting ranges “sometimes when I can’t sleep.”

RELATED: THE SCORE: PISTORIUS’ GRIPES A CRYING SHAME

Pistorius, who races wearing carbon fiber prosthetic blades after he was born without a fibula in both legs, was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics and reached the 400 meter semi-finals in London 2012.

In last year’s Paralympics he suffered his first loss over 200 meters in nine years. After the race he sullied his media darling persona somewhat by questioning the legitimacy of Brazilian winner Alan Oliveira’s prosthetic blades. The comments sparked controversy though Pistorius was quick to express his regret.

South Africa has some of the world’s highest rates of violent crime and many home owners have weapons to defend themselves against intruders.

VNS24/7/AP

This aerial image taken from video provided by VNS24/7 on Thursday Feb. 14, 2013, shows the home of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius in a gated housing complex in Pretoria, South Africa. Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been arrested in the shooting death of his girlfriend, police and the woman’s talent agent said Thursday.

In 2004, Springbok rugby player Rudi Visagie shot dead his 19-year-old daughter after he mistakenly thought she was a robber trying to steal his car in the middle of the night.

Pistorius did not answer his mobile phone on Thursday. His agent told Reuters he had not spoken to Pistorius but his lawyers were with him.

Pistorius is sponsored by British telecoms firm BT, sunglasses maker Oakley, sports apparel maker Nike and French designer Thierry Mugler.

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The Olympian’s father, Henke Pistorius, told South Africa’s SABC radio news that his son knows what really happened in his home Thursday.

“If anyone makes a statement, it will have to be Oscar,” Henke Pistorius said. “He’s sad at the moment.”