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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Pistorius quizzed on Reeva evidence

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius is being quizzed about his version of events on the night that he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel began his cross examination by pushing Mr Pistorius to acknowledge the full magnitude of his actions on 14 February 2013.

The athlete said he made a "mistake" on the night that he shot Ms Steenkamp.

"You killed a person, that's what you did! You shot and killed her, won't you take responsibility...?" Mr Nel said.

Earlier, Mr Pistorius described how Ms Steenkamp died before the ambulance arrived while he was holding her.

The athlete denies deliberately shooting dead his girlfriend, arguing he mistook her for an intruder.

Prosecutors contend he intentionally killed her in the toilet of his bathroom after a row.

The 27-year-old Olympic and Paralympic sprinter, who is a double amputee, faces life imprisonment if convicted of murder.

On Tuesday, he broke down in tears whilst describing the events leading up to the shooting and the actual event.

If acquitted, South African law stipulates that the court must consider the separate, lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, for which he could receive between six and 15 years in prison.

Mr Pistorius also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, both of which he denies.

There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors.

The court in Pretoria says in the opening moments of cross examination showed the highly combative style Mr Pistorius can now expect from Mr Nel in the coming days.

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Gerrie Nel: Fierce prosecutor

South African Prosecutor Gerrie Nel

Gerrie Nel is known for his no-nonsense attitude inside the courtroom and is one of South Africa's most respected legal minds.

With more than 30 years' experience he has a string of successful prosecutions under his belt and is no stranger to high-profile cases. He prosecuted former police boss and Interpol's ex-head Jackie Selebi on corruption charges, once calling him an "arrogant liar" during cross examination.

Those who know him praise his meticulous attention to detail and his "fearlessness". He was junior prosecutor in the murder case of anti-apartheid activist Chris Hani in 1993.

He was also the founding head in 1999 of the Gauteng province division of South Africa's elite police and prosecution unit the Hawks, then known as the Scorpions.

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Earlier while being questioned by his lawyer, Mr Pistorius described the moments after paramedics had arrived at the scene.

"They asked for some space to work so I stood up. Reeva had already died whilst I was holding her before the ambulance arrived. So, I knew there was nothing they could do for her," he said.

He also described his distress as police and other officials arrived at the house.

"I asked a policeman if I could wash my hands because the smell of the blood was making me throw up," he said.

Reeva Steenkamp
Mr Pistorius said that during their three-month relationship he and Ms Steenkamp had become very close
June Steenkamp, mother of Reeva Steenkamp, holds her head as Oscar Pistorius gives evidence in Pretoria, 8 April
Reeva Steenkamp's mother held her head while listening to the testimony of Mr Pistorius on Tuesday
Aimee Pistorius is overcome with emotion as she listens to her brother Oscar's testimony in the Pretoria High Court, 8 April
Aimee Pistorius was overcome with emotion as she listened to her brother's testimony on Tuesday

His lawyer Barry Roux also asked him to demonstrate how he would swing a cricket bat.

Mr Pistorius said he was on his prosthetic legs when he used the cricket bat to break down the toilet door.

He said the three sounds heard by witnesses at 03:17 local time was the cricket bat hitting the door - about five minutes after he shot at the toilet door.

He said he was on his stumps, when he shot at the door.

"I can barely stand on my stumps," he said.

'Loud crying'

During his questioning, Mr Roux also mentioned statements from close neighbours who were listed by the state but not called by the prosecution.

He said the statement from Kenny Motshoane's house described hearing "crying" and not "a woman screaming", as mentioned by other witnesses.

Another woman living nearby also says she heard "loud crying" and not a woman screaming, Mr Roux said.

Before Mr Roux ended his questioning he asked Mr Pistorius if he had intentionally killed Ms Steenkamp.

"I did not intend to kill Reeva or anybody else for that matter," he replied.

On Tuesday, the athlete described how the couple had spent a quiet evening together on 13 February, Ms Steenkamp doing some yoga as he spoke to his cousin on the phone.

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