Oscar Pistorius, accused of killing his girlfriend, forced out of hiding for trial hearing

Johannesburg: Oscar Pistorius will be back in the glare of public scrutiny for the first time in months when he appears at a court hearing ahead of his murder trial Tuesday, launching the next chapter of the sensational case that transformed the double-amputee Olympian from a smiling inspiration to a sobbing suspect facing a life sentence in prison if convicted of killing his girlfriend.

There have been only two reported sightings of Pistorius since he was granted bail on February 22, just over a week after millions were stunned by the images of him leaving a police station on Valentine's Day - his head hooded and bowed, hands thrust deep into his jacket pockets and guarded by officers, after he was arrested and charged for killing Reeva Steenkamp.