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Updated 10.55am
OSCAR PISTORIUS HAS finished giving evidence at his murder trial at a Pretoria courtroom in South Africa.
For his re-examination following cross-examination, defence counsel Barry Roux did not keep the athlete long on the stand.
He gave him a chance to reiterate his position that he was ‘scared for his life’ and “overcome with a sense of terror and vulnerability” when he shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in the early hours of 14 February last year.
He also noted that he did not consciously pull the trigger.
Going over some earlier evidence used by the State’s prosecutors, Roux showed an image of the victim’s denim jeans which were inside out in one photo and in a different state in another, pointing to a possible tampering with the scene.
Before allowed the accused to exit the witness box, Roux asked him to read a card that Reeva Steenkamp had left for him for Valentine’s Day last year.
On the envelope, she had drawn love hearts and written her boyfriend’s nickname – Ozzy.
Inside, she had written:
I think today is a good day to tell you that I love you.
Earlier, the relentless Gerrie Nel – also known as the Pitbull – pushed the athlete on a number of points of evidence for about 90 minutes today before wrapping up this morning.
“I have nothing further for this witness,” he said, leaving an exhausted and emotional 27-year-old in the dock.
The athlete has faced five almost-full days of gruelling questions about the events leading up to the morning of the 14 February last year.
During his time with Pistorius, Nel had accused the sprinter of lying, tailoring evidence and faking emotion when the difficult questions came up.
His relationship with Reeva Steenkamp was examined in minute detail, with their WhatsApp messages pulled apart sentence by sentence, word by word. His enthusiasm for firearms and his apparently erratic temperament were also referred to by Nel.
Today, the lawyer recapped over much of what the State believes happened on that fateful day in the Paralympian’s home.
Prosecutors contend that the couple had an argument and that Pistorius knowingly shot her in what is described as pre-meditated murder. The accused denies the charge. He admits to shooting the victim but insists that it was a case of mistaken identity and he believed there was an intruder in the bathroom when he shot four bullets through the door.
Pistorius says he did not intend to kill anybody that morning.
Before concluding today, Nel asked Pistorius who should be blamed for the death of his 30-year-old girlfriend.
“Should we blame Reeva?” he asked. “For not telling you she was going to the bathroom? Who should we blame for the fact that you shot her?”
Pistorius replied that he did not know who should be blamed and that he was scared.
Pushed on the matter, the accused agreed that he should not be blamed. Nel also asked why Black Talon bullets were used to “rip through her body”.
Pistorius simply responded that they are the ammunition used in his type of firearm.
As he finally finshed up, Nel told the court that the accused’s version of events could not be true.
Summing up, Nel mentioned that Reeva had eaten two hours before being shot dead, putting the time at 1am, long after Pistorius said they went to bed.
He recalled evidence given by three neighbours that they heard “bloodcurdling screams”. Nel put this down to her trying to escape from the house.
“You shot four shots through the door while you were talking to her. You armed yourself with the sole purpose of killing her,” he continued as Pistorius began to cry.
Reporters in South Africa believe that Nel managed to pick a number of holes in Pistorius’s case – revealing inconsistencies in his account and highlighting his selective memory.
There is some commentary that his case could be in a weaker position thanks to five days with the Pitbull.
The trial continues but Judge Mapisa will decide tomorrow morning whether to grant a postponement on Friday until 5 May.
Defence counsel agreed to the delay, noting that the State had informed them of pressing matters in other cases and personal issues that had arisen.
If the postponement is granted, Pistorius’s lawyer Barry Roux said his case would be wrapped up by 16 May at the latest but added that he could not account for how long Nel would cross-examine the witnesses.
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His self pitying performance, admittedly under severe pressure, has done him no favours.
Agreed, but on the other side, i don’t believe Gerrie Nel’s badgering of the witness done the state any favours
did anybody ever wonder why intruders would break into your house through a bathroom window then lock themselves in !
By no means am I defending him, but Crime in South Africa is so common place that most South Africans live in constant fear. Reeva & Oscar are also famous, so I’m sure they were also always on the look out for people wanting stork them, maybe steal from them. If thief broke in through a bathroom window, who knows what they will do!
Does this give him the excuse to kill somebody……
Not at all, but if you go research the crime statistics in South Africa, you will find that families are being murdered for a couple of possessions.
@stanley. Would the people who have private security in their neighbourhood live in constant fear or just the middle classes
Yes!! Everybody does…… Maybe not Jacob Zuma
Yes m’lady
Class :)
Thits incorrict m’lady
Gizmo you’re getting awful abuse in the Justin bieber story. If u need back up you know where I am buddy. We could take them!!
I’ll have a look Saul!
He’s being shown up for what he truly is a control freak with a temper (roid rage? Found lots of steroids in his place )had access to a gun and a history of incidents with guns and the most ridiculous story which doesn’t add up or make any sense.He murdered his girlfriend and is nothing more than a deranged little coward who is turning this trial into a farce with his theatrics and crocodile tears.
Does anyone actually believe his bullshit story? If so why?
Thank god, listening to him was painful.
Change the channel then, or go do something constructive
It’s on the radio in work you moron.
Try a different station……. One with lovely soft music to calm yourself down…… It sounds like you need it
How come we’re allowed to comment on the trial all of a sudden?
It’s trial by media. We have a role to play. I say murder in the first, my lady
It was the gun’s fault it pulled on his finger……
Im not saying he didn’t do it but innocent/guilty proven etc..
Google PTSD there.. its not exclusive to people who are coming back from warzones..
“The relentless Gerrie Nel – also known as the Pitbull”
Every other reference I’ve heard/read has been he’s known as the “Bulldog”………..
Whatever…
just lock him up already…he’s as guilty as sin…
This is a man who in spite of his disability likes to be in control and cannot allow love to get in the way as it shows up a weakness in his shield. It is a pity that his girlfriend could not recognise this.
In spite of his disability likes to be in control?? What are you trying to say here. This has nothing to do with a disability
Whatsda Pistorious (that’s the new way I answer the phone to my buddies) it could catch on!!
you don’t have many ‘buddies’ i take it.
Cowboy
I’m absolutely stunned when I look at the comment in articles related to this trial. Most of the comments are from people who have already decided he was guilty. The trial is nothing more than paper work to these people.
I don’t know whether he is guilty or not, but this certainly isn’t as clear cut as some people are trying to make out.
totally agree, and if it was her that shot him those same people would be calling for her release immediately.
I think what happened was ~ they were having an enormous row… she tried to get away from him because he is a proven lunatic!! She wouldn’t come out of the bathroom and he blasted shots through the door thinking she was at the toilet and she wasnt she was behind the door and he killed her!!
Erm even is she was sitting on the toilet the shots would have hit her(in the head imo)or at least the ricochet would. The toilet cubicle is tiny btw.
Have you seen the layout of the bathroom??????
Hasnt a leg to stand on in my view
so you haven’t heard that ,,,ahem, joke since last February ?
Why would she lock the bathroom door in the middle of the night when it was just herself and her boyfriend in the house??
A valentines card????
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Please dont shoot
Its me on the loo
I think I must be the only person in the world following this trial that has a certain amount of empathy for Oscar Pistorius.
In saying that, I don’t believe his version of events as I fully believe he knew it was Reeva Steenkamp that was in the bathroom, but at the same time I don’t think it was a pre-meditated, ruthless, cold-blooded murder as the prosecution are attempting to make it out to be.
This is my humble opinion of how I think events unfolded …
I believe they were a couple very much in love and had a very passionate relationship. And with a passionate relationship comes very intense and explosive rows. I think it started off as a verbal arguement that quickly gathered momentum. It was getting very heated and both were relentless and everyone knows that there’s no-one better at pressing your buttons than your very own partner. I think he snapped and grabbed his gun – not ever intending to use it – but just wanted to scare her. She then ran into the bathroom away from him – but at the same time not believing he’d ever fire at her either. But as the row raged on through the door, in a split-second of pure madness and frustration with her he found himself pulling on the trigger. I believe he was instantly horrified and distraught at what he had just done.
He then panicked and lied about what happened and has been continuing that lie ever since. He has now found himself in a situation he can’t get out of.
I think all the grief and emotion he showed on the stand is genuine because he did truely love her and is still in disbelief at what he did.
While I do feel sorry for him because I feel he accidently lost the woman he loves by his own hand, he does absolutely deserve to be punished for his crime, because no matter how it happened, the girl is dead because of him.
He should have told the truth from the start and pleaded manslaughter.
In any case, the whole chain of events is such a sad tragedy for all involved.
Would anyone else agree with that possible scenario … or not?
Totally agree!
Agree 100% but I don’t have any empathy for him, I understand your other half can push your buttons like no one else and in a fit of rage you can loose the head i understand that. But it takes a fair bit of presence of mind to go pick up a gun & open fire it don’t care how passionate your relationship is
Yes I agree with that. I accept that being totally wound up in the midst of a blazing row is no excuse for pulling a gun on some-one – let alone use it which is why he deserves to be tried and punished for it. But I imagine that it is a very fine line that you step over to reach that presence of mind and I believe in his case it was only for a very brief split second.
I also think when you are around firearms as much as he is and you become very comfortable holding them and using them at firing ranges etc – you lose perspective of how lethal they are and lose the sense of danger surrounding them. And I feel his attitude to holding such a powerful weapon was just way too laid-back with devastating results.
Could they not use a lie detector test and the trial would be over in one day.How can you convict him without reasonable doubt when only 2 people are direct witness and only one survives.
Pristorious has NOT a leg to stand on!
and again,,,,,so you haven’t heard that ,,,ahem, joke since last February ?
This particular judge will charge him with murder, I’ve no doubt about that.
have your say