The parents of Reeva Steenkamp have revealed the reasons behind their torturous decision to accept 'blood money' from Oscar Pistorius after he shot their daughter. June and Barry Steenkamp were given £340 a month by the athlete in a series of deposits that began several weeks after the model's death on Valentine's Day last year. Mrs Steenkamp said the payments made her feel 'uncomfortable' but felt the family had no option after they were declared bankrupt and evicted by their landlord. Her husband had also suffered a stroke as a result of his grief two months after Miss Steenkamp was gunned down. But Mrs Steenkamp has vowed to pay 'every single cent' of the £6,300 total back, declaring: 'My child was priceless. He can't buy her life.' Scroll down for video . 'We had no choice': The parents of Reeva Steenkamp, Barry and June (pictured outside court at Oscar Pistorius's sentencing) said they were forced to accept the athlete's money because they had gone bankrupt . Victim and killer: The Steenkamp's were given £340 a month by the athlete in a series of payments that began several weeks after he shot their daughter Reeva (above) at his Pretoria home on Valentine's Day last year . Mrs Steenkamp told the Daily Mirror: 'We didn’t have much choice. We were in such a bad way, we didn’t even have food on the table. It was that or starve.' The Steenkamps also refused a lump sum payment of £21,000 which he raised from the sale of his car. Mrs Steenkamp said: 'Oscar has made us other offers which we turned down. 'Thankfully now we are in a position where we can say we don't want any money from him.' Details of the payments were initially revealed at the Paralympian's sentencing hearing, to the surprise of many in court, when he was jailed for five years for Miss Steenkamp's manslaughter. Barry Steenkamp suffered a stroke around two months after his daughter was killed as a result of his grief . Mrs Steenkamp has written a book, published this week, called Reeva: A Mother’s Story in which she dismisses outright Pistorius's account of the night he killed her daughter. She said she believes Pistorius shot the 29-year-old dead after a furious row - not, as in the runner's version, fearing that she was a dangerous intruder. 'Oscar's story I don't believe,' she wrote in the book, released weeks after the athlete was found not guilty of murder and sentenced to five years in prison on a lesser manslaughter charge. 'Not one of his actions suggests he felt protective towards her. 'They had a fight, a horrible argument, and she fled to the bathroom with her mobile and locked the door. 'I think he may have shot once and then he had to go on and kill her because she would have been able to tell the world what really happened, what he is really like. 'There is no doubt in our minds: she had decided to leave Oscar that night,' she wrote, adding that Miss Steenkamp had indicated that the pair had not had sex. 'I believe their relationship was coming to an end. In her heart of hearts she didn't think it was making either of them happy.' Take him down: Oscar Pistorius is led away from court after being sentenced to five years in jail for the manslaughter of the 29-year-old model . 'It was Reeva's bad luck that she met him, because sooner or later he would have killed someone. I do believe that.' Mrs Steenkamp also described the desperate pain of not being there to help her daughter in her time of need, of medication to numb the anguish and of her husband Barry's recent stroke. 'In our worst imaginings, we picture how scared she must have been to retreat behind that door, and lock it, with no one to protect her. 'One bullet blew the brains out of her skull.' Miss Steenkamp added that while she forgives Pistorius, she would like to meet him to ask questions. 'I have forgiven him. I have to - that's my religion. But I can't forget what he has done. I hate what he has done to my child.' In the book, Steenkamp describes at length the pain of seven months of tortured court hearings, culminating in a verdict which the state has described as 'shockingly light' and will appeal. 'I felt let down by the justice system,' said Steenkamp. She described Pistorius's account of events as 'vague, evasive and shifty.' 'I was so shocked that he was actually standing there saying not guilty to every single charge. How could he say that when Reeva is dead and he shot her?' 'He has to live for the rest of his life with the knowledge of what he's done.' Prosecutors are appealing the manslaughter verdict and five-year sentence after failing secure a murder conviction.
Steenkamps were paid £340 a month by athlete after he shot their daughter .
The family were evicted by their landlord after being declared bankrupt .
Mother June said payments made her 'uncomfortable' but had no option .
Has vowed to pay 'every cent' back, declaring: He can't buy Reeva's life'
The parents of Reeva Steenkamp have revealed the reasons behind their torturous decision to accept 'blood money' from Oscar Pistorius after he shot their daughter. June and Barry Steenkamp were given £340 a month by the athlete in a series of deposits that began several weeks after the model's death on Valentine's Day last year. Mrs Steenkamp said the payments made her feel 'uncomfortable' but felt the family had no option after they were declared bankrupt and evicted by their landlord. Her husband had also suffered a stroke as a result of his grief two months after Miss Steenkamp was gunned down. But Mrs Steenkamp has vowed to pay 'every single cent' of the £6,300 total back, declaring: 'My child was priceless. He can't buy her life.' Scroll down for video . 'We had no choice': The parents of Reeva Steenkamp, Barry and June (pictured outside court at Oscar Pistorius's sentencing) said they were forced to accept the athlete's money because they had gone bankrupt . Victim and killer: The Steenkamp's were given £340 a month by the athlete in a series of payments that began several weeks after he shot their daughter Reeva (above) at his Pretoria home on Valentine's Day last year . Mrs Steenkamp told the Daily Mirror: 'We didn’t have much choice. We were in such a bad way, we didn’t even have food on the table. It was that or starve.' The Steenkamps also refused a lump sum payment of £21,000 which he raised from the sale of his car. Mrs Steenkamp said: 'Oscar has made us other offers which we turned down. 'Thankfully now we are in a position where we can say we don't want any money from him.' Details of the payments were initially revealed at the Paralympian's sentencing hearing, to the surprise of many in court, when he was jailed for five years for Miss Steenkamp's manslaughter. Barry Steenkamp suffered a stroke around two months after his daughter was killed as a result of his grief . Mrs Steenkamp has written a book, published this week, called Reeva: A Mother’s Story in which she dismisses outright Pistorius's account of the night he killed her daughter. She said she believes Pistorius shot the 29-year-old dead after a furious row - not, as in the runner's version, fearing that she was a dangerous intruder. 'Oscar's story I don't believe,' she wrote in the book, released weeks after the athlete was found not guilty of murder and sentenced to five years in prison on a lesser manslaughter charge. 'Not one of his actions suggests he felt protective towards her. 'They had a fight, a horrible argument, and she fled to the bathroom with her mobile and locked the door. 'I think he may have shot once and then he had to go on and kill her because she would have been able to tell the world what really happened, what he is really like. 'There is no doubt in our minds: she had decided to leave Oscar that night,' she wrote, adding that Miss Steenkamp had indicated that the pair had not had sex. 'I believe their relationship was coming to an end. In her heart of hearts she didn't think it was making either of them happy.' Take him down: Oscar Pistorius is led away from court after being sentenced to five years in jail for the manslaughter of the 29-year-old model . 'It was Reeva's bad luck that she met him, because sooner or later he would have killed someone. I do believe that.' Mrs Steenkamp also described the desperate pain of not being there to help her daughter in her time of need, of medication to numb the anguish and of her husband Barry's recent stroke. 'In our worst imaginings, we picture how scared she must have been to retreat behind that door, and lock it, with no one to protect her. 'One bullet blew the brains out of her skull.' Miss Steenkamp added that while she forgives Pistorius, she would like to meet him to ask questions. 'I have forgiven him. I have to - that's my religion. But I can't forget what he has done. I hate what he has done to my child.' In the book, Steenkamp describes at length the pain of seven months of tortured court hearings, culminating in a verdict which the state has described as 'shockingly light' and will appeal. 'I felt let down by the justice system,' said Steenkamp. She described Pistorius's account of events as 'vague, evasive and shifty.' 'I was so shocked that he was actually standing there saying not guilty to every single charge. How could he say that when Reeva is dead and he shot her?' 'He has to live for the rest of his life with the knowledge of what he's done.' Prosecutors are appealing the manslaughter verdict and five-year sentence after failing secure a murder conviction.
Steenkamp said the payments made her feel 'uncomfortable' but felt the family had no option after they were declared bankrupt and evicted by has vowed to pay 'every single cent' of the priceless. He can't buy her life.' Scroll down Steenkamp's were given £340 a month by the several weeks after he shot their daughter Reeva