It’s time to move on. The circus isn’t coming to town so we can get on with the rest of our lives. There’s been a cabinet reshuffle. There’s been a world cup. Lives have been lost in Gaza. And the Pistorius trial rumbles on.

Celebrity trials and the voracious appetite of 24hour news channels go hand in hand. Think OJ. Think William Kennedy-Smith (I met him years later and felt rather odd shaking his hand) and now we have Oscar Pistorius.

Admittedly, now is not the time to go in to the rights or wrongs of the case. I am also not going to comment on most of the salacious details surrounding Pistorius’s impairment and the crime. That being said, aspects of his defence did catch my eye and are certainly remarkable.

It is the connection between a person’s disability and their mental state. Oscar’s defence team spent a good chunk of time trying to convince us that losing both legs left deep emotional scars and a psychological ‘hole’.

This may be true but it may be argued that Oscar’s glorious athletic career was built on his disability and the strength of mind needed to be a top class athlete. This argument seems out of sync with the picture the defence tried to paint.

It is the general point that disturbs me. By allowing his disability to be connected to mental frailty, Oscar may have allowed society fall into rgw trap of equating disabled people with widespread mental illness. A double stigma takes place. Ability is ignored and any failing on our part will now be tinged with the ‘ah sure, aren’t they all a bit touched?’

This is a dangerous road to go down as one of the most important traits any person can have is personal responsibility. My actions are my responsibility. I would not want to try to use my disability as an excuse.

Whatever happens for the remainder of the Pistorius trial, it must be judged on the basis of facts. The addition of using his disability may do both Oscar and the wider disabled community far more harm in the long run.