Thread: Pistorius: The Trial of the Decade

First reports from the Pistorius trial in Searth Ifrica.

Oscar Pistorius pleaded not guilty to murdering his girlfriend on a dramatic opening day of his trial in Pretoria.
The Paralympian superstar faces a life sentence if he is found guilty of killing Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year.
But on the first morning of the trial the South African confirmed he will fight the charge.
After a state prosecutor charged that Pistorius "unlawfully and intentionally did kill" Steenkamp, he entered a plea of "not guilty, my lady" to the judge, Thokozile Masipa.
He also pleaded not guilty to three unrelated gun charges.
Pistorius' lawyer, Kenny Oldwage, described Sttenkamp's death as a "tragic accident," admitting the 'Blade Runner' did kill the reality TV star, but only after mistaking the 29-year-old as an intruder.
Pistorius said: "This allegation is denied in the strongest terms. We were in a loving relationship."
There was dramatic evidence from the first witness to take the stand - Pistorius' neightbour Michelle Burger.
She said she and her husband were woken up at around 3am by "bloodcurdling screams" coming from Pistorius' home.
Burger said: "She (Steenkamp) screamed terribly and she yelled for help. It was something you can't explain to someone else, how anxious those screams were.
"Just after her screams, I heard shots, four shots," she said, describing one clear shot then three clustered together.
"I heard petrified screaming before the gunshots, and just after the gunshots."
Burger was challenged over potential inconsistencies, asking in particular why she heard four gunshots but her husband, who is yet to testify, reported hearing five or six.
The trial was then adjourned until Tuesday.
The first day of the trial is the first time the victim's mother June came face-to-face with Pistorius since the killing.
"I want to look at Oscar, really look him in the eyes, and see for myself the truth about what he did to Reeva," she told a British newspaper ahead of the trial.

Sky Sports : Oscar: I'm Not Guilty

Sounds like he's screwed already. The neighbours heard loads of screaming from her and him, followed by the shots.

Kinda pisses all over his story about hearing a noise in the bathroom and not knowing it was his girlfriend.

25 years in chokey I fancy.

He's done - not that there was ever any real question....in my mind, at least.

Poor defence certainly.

If he had said that he was touching cloth and she wouldn't let him into the bathroom so he needed to shoot the lock off the door then he may have been in with a chance.

I think this is a little bit tasteless though....

Oscar Pistorius trial: Paddy Power defends 'sick' betting advert, describing murder case as 'like OJ Simpson on steroids' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I think this is a little bit tasteless though....

Oscar Pistorius trial: Paddy Power defends 'sick' betting advert, describing murder case as 'like OJ Simpson on steroids' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

PP do Ads like them for the free advertising

She got a text message from an old boyfriend,and he shot her in a jealous rage.
Thats My take on it.

Originally Posted by wasabi

She got a text message from an old boyfriend,and he shot her in a jealous rage.
Thats My take on it.

OK Inspector Clouseau the evidence clearly points to that.

As I see it if guilty as charged the offense carries a mandatory life sentence.

Last Updated: 4:26AM 04/03/2014
Emma Hurd, Sky Correspondent
Two things are already clear from the opening stages of Oscar Pistorius' murder trial: the athlete intends to play a full role in his defence; and his lawyers plan to pursue an aggressive approach as they try to keep him out of jail.
In his bail hearing last February, Pistorius struggled to compose himself, frequently breaking down in tears as he sat shaking in court.
This time he has appeared calm and focused, and from the start of the case he has been busy taking notes.
Several times he has handed slips of paper to his legal team, participating in every stage. The athlete, famed for his determination on the track, seems to have brought some of that steel to his trial.
He and his lawyers have had a year to prepare and there is little doubt the Paralympic athlete has been key to the discussions about strategy.
He certainly knew what to expect when he hired Advocate Barry Roux to lead his defence: a bruiser of an attorney, famed for his ability to win cases and rattle witnesses on the stand.
He lived up to that reputation as he launched his cross-examination of the prosecution's first witness.
Michell Burger, a neighbour of the athlete, had told the court how she was awoken by screaming on the night Pistorius shot dead Reeva Steenkamp.
She described the woman's cries as "blood-curdling" and said she also heard a man shouting for help.
She also spoke of her horror at hearing four gunshots being fired.
Mr Roux, well aware that this was damaging evidence - contradicting Pistorius' defence that he thought Ms Steenkamp was asleep in bed and he was shooting at an intruder - went on the offensive.
The questions were fired fast to try to unsettle the witness; she was accused of being confused and even asked to vouch for the honesty of her husband who had heard more than four shots.
Mr Roux claimed the woman's voice she heard could have been Pistorius and that the shots were the sound of the athlete using a cricket bat to break down the bathroom door after realising he had shot Ms Steenkamp by mistake.
It was a fiery exchange, with Ms Burger sticking to her account, but Mr Roux might have introduced just a hint of doubt where before there was none.
We can expect more of this, Pistorius sharply focused on his freedom, as Barry Roux spars with the renowned and tenacious lead prosecutor, Gerrie Nel.
There is no jury for the two men to sway, just one judge, Thokozile Masipa, who will ultimately decide what really happened to the 29-year-old Ms Steenkamp that night and, with it, Pistorius' fate.

http://m.sky.com/skynews/article/news/1220457

Things didn't go well for the defence team on day 2. All 3 witness's sticking with their stories of hearing screams/arguments before shots were fired. Even Barry Roux try as he might couldn't wear down Michell Burger.


BBC News - Oscar Pistorius trial day two: As it happened

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I think this is a little bit tasteless though....

Oscar Pistorius trial: Paddy Power defends 'sick' betting advert, describing murder case as 'like OJ Simpson on steroids' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Hilarious! But do you get your money back if he goes boing, boing?

'The chief defense lawyer in Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial sought on Wednesday to undermine the prosecution testimony of a couple who say they heard screams and gunfire the night the athlete fatally shot his girlfriend, saying similarities in their accounts indicated that they had aligned their versions at the expense of the truth.'

This is one of the worst Defence gambits i've heard !

Pistorius trial: Athlete blamed for restaurant shooting




South Africa boxer Kevin Lerena describes restaurant gunshot incident


Pistorius trial

• Day Two as it happened
• The battle ahead
• Key players
• Explore crime scene

A witness at the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius has said the South African athlete was responsible for a weapon being fired at a restaurant last year.

Boxer Kevin Lerena told the court that Mr Pistorius had asked the owner of the gun to take the blame.

The incident happened the month before Mr Pistorius shot dead his 29-year-old girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

The 27-year-old double amputee denies intentionally killing her, saying he mistook her for an intruder.


At the scene

Pumza Fihlani BBC News, Pretoria

The focus of the Oscar Pistorius trial has shifted from the house where he shot his girlfriend to a restaurant in Johannesburg where he allegedly fired a gun under a table just weeks before Reeva Steenkamp's death.

The state's fourth witness, Kevin Lerena, is a boxer and sounds like a man with great admiration for the Olympic athlete.

He had been helping him get into shape for a tournament at the time he went with Mr Pistorius to Tasha's Restaurant.

Admiration aside, the state is hoping to use Mr Lerena's testimony to show that Mr Pistorius was trigger-happy, a man who handled guns with reckless abandon.

Gun ownership is high in South Africa. People mainly have them for protection because of the high crime rate, though some use firearms recreationally. However, the state's point is that it is uncommon for anyone to fire a loaded gun in a public place.

He also denies charges of illegally possessing ammunition.

Steenkamp, a model and reality TV star, was shot dead in the early hours of 14 February 2013 at Mr Pistorius's home in the capital, Pretoria.

The arrest of a national sporting hero, who won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and also competed at the Olympics, astounded South Africa.


'In shock'

Mr Lerena, a professional boxer, is the fourth witness to take the stand at the trial, which began at the High Court in Pretoria on Monday.

He testified that he had been to Tasha's Restaurant in Johannesburg with Mr Pistorius and two other people, including Darren Fresco, in January 2013.

Mr Fresco had passed his firearm to Mr Pistorius and said "I'm one up", meaning there was a bullet in the chamber of the gun, Mr Lerena said.

When the firearm was handed over a there was a shot followed by "complete silence", the boxer added.



There is intense interest in the case in South Africa




South Africa was stunned when the athlete shot dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp

"I looked down, and where my foot was there was a hole in the floor," he told the court. "I had a little graze on my toe, but I wasn't hurt."

Mr Pistorius had apologised and asked Mr Fresco to take the blame, which he had agreed to do, Mr Lerena said.

"Please, I don't want any attention around me. Just say it was you," he pleaded, according to Mr Lerena.

The BBC's Andrew Harding, who is in the courtroom, says the questioning showed the prosecution's broader attempt to prove that Mr Pistorius was trigger-happy

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26445206

Seriously,

if convicted and sentenced to prison, he may have to remove the prosthetic legs.

They could be used as weapons.

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

The BBC's Andrew Harding, who is in the courtroom, says the questioning showed the prosecution's broader attempt to prove that Mr Pistorius was trigger-happy

BBC News - Pistorius trial: Athlete blamed for restaurant shooting

It also shows that he is dishonest, which throws his testimony into question.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

The BBC's Andrew Harding, who is in the courtroom, says the questioning showed the prosecution's broader attempt to prove that Mr Pistorius was trigger-happy

BBC News - Pistorius trial: Athlete blamed for restaurant shooting

It also shows that he is dishonest, which throws his testimony into question.

We knew that already. Anyone who puts springy things on the ends of their legs and pretends that it does NOT give them an advantage over people with ankles and bones is a liar.

Wow his ex bird is on the stand to supposedly testify about his love of guns, and now the whole thing has been stopped because the silly bint is blubbing about how he cheated on her.

Good witness for the defence, a bitter and spurned lover!

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I think this is a little bit tasteless though.... Oscar Pistorius trial: Paddy Power defends

I'm sweating on the verdict here because I have him on a 'Guilty' win double with the Amanda Knox retrial verdict.
One in the bag and it's looking good with Oscar's defence team fcuking up at every opportunity.

Originally Posted by aging one

carries a mandatory life sentence.

does he get to keep his legs when he does go down ?

Originally Posted by billy the kid

does he get to keep his legs when he does go down ?

He surely will go down but being a 'pretty boy' in a SA jail ?, hope he has a lot of bung money to the guards.
Saw a show last year where the inmates run the prison, Joburg and male rape was just the norm - fcking ouch.
Bet Oscar thought his fame was directed in a different way, cruel cnut who snuffed out his g/f.

Originally Posted by dobella

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I think this is a little bit tasteless though.... Oscar Pistorius trial: Paddy Power defends

I'm sweating on the verdict here because I have him on a 'Guilty' win double with the Amanda Knox retrial verdict.
One in the bag and it's looking good with Oscar's defence team fcuking up at every opportunity.

Why are you sweating? Either he smashed the door with the bat after he shot her, or he did it before. The blood spatter will tell.

If it's before, he's f**ked.

Pistorius fired gun from car, ex-girlfriend tells trial





Pistorius "cheated on me with Reeva Steenkamp", ex-girlfriend tells court




Pistorius trial

• The battle ahead
• Key players
• Explore crime scene
• Eyes on fallen hero

Oscar Pistorius' ex-girlfriend told his trial he once fired his gun from his car sunroof after becoming angry with police.

An emotional day in court then climaxed with testimony from a security guard shocked to find Mr Pistorius carrying a dying Reeva Steenkamp.

The athlete had earlier told him "everything is fine", when he rang him after shots were heard.

Mr Pistorius denies both murdering Ms Steenkamp and shooting from his car.


Analysis

Pumza Fihlani BBC News, Johannesburg

Model Samantha Taylor said she was 17 when she started dating Oscar Pistorius and they broke up on 4 November 2012, after he took Reeva Steenkamp to the SA Sports Awards.

She was called to testify regarding a lesser count relating to the alleged reckless handling of a firearm. Ms Taylor was familiar with the Pistorius house and spent about four nights a week during their relationship, she said.

She painted a picture of a Pistorius who was greatly attached to his gun. "He always had it on him," even when he visited friends, she told the court.

Fearful of an intruder, whenever he heard a strange noise at night he would grab the gun then go to investigate, much as he did the night he shot Ms Steenkamp.

But unlike with Ms Steenkamp, Ms Taylor said that on at on least two occasions, her former boyfriend woke her up to check if she had also heard the noise.


Early in her testimony, former girlfriend Samantha Taylor broke down while discussing two break-ups with the athlete.

She said Mr Pistorius had twice been unfaithful, with the relationship finally ending when he "cheated" on her with Reeva Steenkamp.

The defence pointed to emails it said proved the relationship with Ms Taylor was already over by the time Mr Pistorius began seeing Ms Steenkamp, but Ms Taylor insisted the relationship was not "officially" over when he started dating Ms Steenkamp.

The model also said the alleged shooting incident happened when he became angry after a police officer stopped him for speeding, saw the gun on the car seat and told him it could not be left there.

She accepted that he laughed around the time he actually fired the gun.

Ms Taylor testified that Mr Pistorius kept his gun "on him all the time," and described him as a man who could get very angry.


'Too shocked to help'

Pieter Baba, a security guard working at Oscar Pistorius' gated community, the Silverwoods Country Estate, followed Ms Taylor in the witness box.

He said the athlete told him everything was "fine" when he called to investigate neighbours' reports of gunshots on the night Reeva Steenkamp was killed.

He said he made the phone call from outside the runner's villa, before dawn. His said Mr Pistorius then called him back, crying but not saying anything, before the line went dead.

When he saw Mr Pistorius carrying a dying Reeva Steenkamp down the stairs, Mr Baba said he was initially too shocked to help.

Mr Pistorius looked at the floor while Pieter Baba gave his evidence, at one point appearing to cry when the security guard described the bloody scene he found.



There were several testy exchanges between Defence Council Roux (shown) and Prosecutor Nel




One of Gerrie Nel's most crucial questions for Ms Taylor came when he asked if Mr Pistorious ever thought there was an intruder in his home when she was there: "Yes, and he always woke her up," she said



Crucial testimony

The BBC's Nomsa Maseko says that while Samantha Taylor was brought in to testify in connection with the lesser firearm charge, her evidence about the alleged shooting incident is crucial to the prosecution's case over the murder charge too, as it paints Mr Pistorius as an angry, reckless gun owner.

The prosecution sought to do the same with evidence given on Wednesday, when the court heard from boxer Kevin Lerena about another incident in which Mr Pistorius is alleged to have fired a gun - in a restaurant - after it was passed to him by another friend in the group. He said Mr Pistorius asked the gun's owner to take the blame.

Towards the end of Samantha Taylor's evidence, the court was adjourned a second time, when she broke down again in the witness box.


Clickable 3D model of Pistorius' house

• Oscar Pistorius trial: Evidence

After returning, she was asked by the prosecution if there had been other occasions when Mr Pistorius thought there was an intruder in his house.

She replied that it had happened at least twice. Crucially, she said he always woke her up before taking his gun with him to check.

Mr Pistorius claims he shot Ms Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder, and had not attempted to wake her before picking up his gun.

If found guilty, the 27-year-old double-amputee, dubbed the "blade runner", could face life imprisonment.


Neighbours' testimony

Friday's trial began with more testimony from neighbour Johan Stipp, who on Thursday told the court he found Mr Pistorius praying over Ms Steenkamp's body as she lay dying.

Questions again focussed on his and other witnesses testimony about the timing of various screams and gunshots.

The prosecutor insisted the sounds witnesses reported do not fit Mr Pistorius' version of events, while the defence tried to draw out differences in the evidence given by the neighbours who have appeared in court so far.

Mr Pistorius again appeared distraught as the events of 14 February 2013 were recounted.

The state is seeking to convince the court that Mr Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp, a model, reality TV star and law graduate, had an argument before the athlete fired the shots that killed his girlfriend.

There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by Judge Thokozile Masipa


BBC News - Pistorius fired gun from car, ex-girlfriend tells trial

Pistorius.
a thai would pronounce it
Pistol ius.
right now he sounds like a very insecure foked up guy in a couple of departments.
do they show american hero comic movies in s.africa.
maybe someone called him a low down bum and he wasn't takin it anymore.

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

Mr Pistorius praying

the yarpies are religious nutters - I was surprised how many of the white dutch ones were avowed god bothers when I started working with a few.

and they are as hypocritical as all the other d0g hailing scammers from around the world