Cafe in hot water over Pistorius joke

Oscar Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide.

The owner of a popular Wellington cafe has apologised after printing a joke on receipts making light of the death of Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The cafe has also made a $1000 donation to Women's Refuge after the joke prompted widespread complaints.

Keith Morrison, owner of Scorch-o-Rama at Scorching Bay, said the joke had been printed at the bottom of the till receipt on Wednesday and was removed yesterday after a complaint was made. The joke read: "Oscar Pistorius was super keen to get a new bathroom door, but his girlfriend was dead against it."

Last month Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide in the shooting death of Ms Steenkamp. He will be sentenced on October 13.

The joke was condemned on the cafe's Facebook page and on Twitter, prompting the company to post an apology online.

"Scorch-o-Rama would like to apologise for any offence caused by a comment that was put on the bottom of our receipts," the Facebook post read.

"The comment was in bad taste and has been removed. We apologise again for any hurt or distress we caused people - it was absolutely never our intention."

Mr Morrison said jokes were always printed on the receipts, but he was now considering stopping the practice.

"Obviously this one hasn't gone down well."

Watch: South Africans react as verdict given in Pistorius trial

He had received two complaints about it at the cafe, he said. All other jokes that had been used had all been "pretty safe" because of the number of families that come into the cafe, Mr Morrison said. "Honestly, I'm s***ing myself that I've made a massive error."

Attn Wellington: Places to avoid MT: Repulsive. We were thinking of going to Scorch-o-Rama...no way now. Disgusted. pic.twitter.com/rqjnCStcbe

— K (@Styla73) October 5, 2014

He said he would display his cellphone number in the cafe's window, so anyone who was upset could speak directly to him.

One message on its Facebook page asked how the company would address the nature of the joke, which was making light of a woman's violent death.