Oscar Pistorius sobbed on the witness stand today while reading out a message inside a Valentine's Day card from his girlfriend that he was due to open on the day he killed her.
The card had been given to him by Reeva Steenkamp on the night of February 13 last year, hours before he shot her dead through his toilet door.
Under questioning from his defence lawyer at the end of a gruelling seven-day stint in the box, the athlete was asked to read out the front of the card and the handwritten message inside.
Choking back tears, he said: 'Roses are red, violets are blue. I think today is a good day to tell you that... I love you'.
The card was signed 'Reeves' with a smiley face and three kisses.
The message was presented to the court in the hope it will counter prosecution claims that the couple were not in a loving relationship at the time of the shooting.
Earlier, Pistorius described the moment he tried to shoulder-charge his toilet door after shooting his girlfriend in what he claims was a tragic accident.
The Paralympian said he was 'screaming for the Lord to help me' while holding the cocked 9mm pistol he used to kill Reeva Steenkamp as he tried to knock down the door.
When that failed, he said he put the gun on the bathmat and went to fetch a cricket bat to break it open.
He told his murder trial: 'I was crying and screaming, “Reeva, Reeva”. I was overcome with terror and despair.'
The double amputee broke down when a picture of Miss Steenkamp slumped on the toilet bowl after she was shot was shown to him.
The double amputee broke down when a picture of Miss Steenkamp slumped on the toilet bowl after she was shot was shown to him.
Describing how he found her, he told the court: 'She was seated on her right buttock with her left arm on top of the toilet bowl. Her head was on her shoulder.'
Mr Nel began the fifth day of cross-examination in the same vein as he pursued yesterday's interrogation by pointing to alleged discrepancies in the athlete's version of events.
The prosecutor noted that last year Pistorius said he opened fire out of fear after hearing a 'movement' in the toilet cubicle - Mr Nel said the choice of word suggested the athlete had heard a person behind the closed toilet door.
Since the bail statement, Pistorius has said he fired after hearing a 'wood abrasion' sound which he interpreted as a possible intruder opening the toilet door to attack him.
Mr Nel told the runner: 'There's no indication that you thought they (perceived intruders) were opening the door in your bail application.
'You are thinking of a version constantly and not dealing with the question.
'It's getting more and more improbable and you're tailoring more and more as we go on.'
Mr Nel also alleged that Pistorius ringing security soon after the shooting and telling them things were 'ok' because he didn't want them to come to the apartment.
Reconstruction: Prosecutor Gerrie Nel questions Pistorius next to the door through which he shot the model'
Mr Nel ended his five-day cross-examination of the track star with a stark summary of how he shot his girlfriend, insisting he killed her deliberately after an argument.
'You fired four shots through the door whilst knowing that she was standing behind the door,' said Mr Nel, known in South Africa as 'The Pitbull' for his hectoring and relentless style of questioning.
'She was locked into the bathroom and you armed yourself with the sole purpose of shooting and killing her,' he continued.
'That is not true,' said the 27-year-old Pistorius, who faces life in prison if convicted of murder.
Under re-examination by his defence lawyer BArry Roux, the Paralympian wept after being asked to read out a message from a Valentine's Day from Miss Steenkamp which he was supposed to open on the day he killed her.
Pistorius said: 'Roses are red, violets are blue. I think today is a good day to tell you that...I love you.'
Earlier, legal teams for the prosecution and the defence both called for a two week adjournment beginning on Friday.
'My colleague has a matter she has to deal with,' said Mr Nel.
'We have matters to deal with but there is also certain personal things that we have arranged that have been arranged all before this trial started.'
Grim: A police photograph showing the blood-covered toilet cubicle where Miss Steenkamp was displayed in court as prosecutor Gerrie Nel questioned Pistorius's account of the moments after he shot the model'
Macabre: This close-up of the magazine rack in a pool of blood in the toilet cubicle was also shown at the trial
SOUTH AFRICA'S TOP LAWYERS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD ON THE BIGGEST STAGE
THE PROSECUTOR
Gerrie Nel, right, is considered South Africa's top state prosecutor. He has been dubbed 'pitbull' by local media for his combative style.
Gerrie Nel, right, is considered South Africa's top state prosecutor. He has been dubbed 'pitbull' by local media for his combative style.
He is most famous for sending to jail ex-Interpol president and South Africa's former police chief Jackie Selebi, proving he had taken bribes from an organised crime network.
The prosecution won him an award from the International Association of Prosecutors, but he has not always emerged unscathed from his tangles with power .
In 2008, at the height of the Selebi controversy, Nel was arrested by armed police in front of his family.
Charges of fraud, perjury and 'defeating the ends of justice' were eventually dropped, with commentators decrying an attempt to discredit him.
His elite investigations unit, the Scorpions, was later disbanded amid allegations it was pursuing graft and other charges against now President Jacob Zuma with politically motivated zeal.
It was then he joined the government prosecutor's office.
Nel is described as a master of presenting evidence by legal analysts.
In Pistorius's bail hearing last year, Nel painted a picture of Pistorius as a man who was 'willing and ready to fire and kill' and Steenkamp as cowering, terrified and hiding in the toilet before Pistorius shot through the toilet door to kill her.
'She couldn't go anywhere,' Nel said in court last year. 'It must have been horrific.'
THE DEFENSE
Barry Roux, right, has been described even by other attorneys as South Africa's best defense lawyer.
Barry Roux, right, has been described even by other attorneys as South Africa's best defense lawyer.
His cross-examination of police detective Hilton Botha in Pistorius's bail hearing in February last year was so extensive that Botha, who was later removed from the case, had to concede that nothing about Pistorius's version of events could be disproved at the time.
Roux, an attorney for about 30 years, also succeeded in getting the court to agree to release Pistorius on bail of 1 million rand (then $113,000) despite the fact that the double-amputee athlete was charged with premeditated murder.
He also got another court to relax some of Pistorius's strict bail conditions on appeal.
With 31 years experience in the legal fraternity, Roux has taken on some of the most controversial cases in South Africa.
In the 1990s he defended apartheid-era general Lothar Neethling, who sued a newspaper over claims that he supplied poison used against anti-apartheid activists.
He also secured a much-reduced settlement in the tax evasion trial of Dave King, a Glasgow-born businessman.
Reconstruction: Investigating officer Captain Mike van Aardt (right) is asked by state prosecutor Gerrie Nel (centre) to demonstrate the opening and closing of the door through which Reeva Steenkamp was shot'
He later said Pistorius did not fire a warning shot.
Pistorius said that when he shot he had no idea who was behind the door, in response to Mr Nel's remark that he did not know whether a child, an unarmed burglar or more than one person could have been in the toilet.
'You never gave them a chance, in your version,' Mr Nel said, building the prosecution case that Pistorius shot to kill.
Proceedings were halted on another occasion when he wept while denying that he intentionally shot his girlfriend.
When pressed to state what his defence was, Pistorius said: 'I heard the noise and I did not have time to interpret it and fired out of fear.
Mr Nel replied: 'You know exactly what you were doing, you fired at Reeva. You fired at her.'
Fighting back tears, Pistorius cried out 'I did not fire at Reeva' - forcing the judge adjourn the hearing.
R
Self-defence claim: Pistorius denies deliberately shooting Reeva Steenkamp, claiming that he mistook her for a dangerous burglar whom he thought was about the burst through the toilet door at him'
Earlier, fans of Oscar Pistorius greeted the athlete with hugs and white balloons outside court today as he arrived for a second week on the witness stand.
The Paralympian was met with messages of support saying 'Ozzy, we love you' and 'hero' while others played music in a festival atmosphere outside the high court in Pretoria.
Pistorius, 27, faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder. He denies all the charges against him.
The trial continues.
SHOCKING TESTIMONY, VOMITING IN THE DOCK AND THE GRISLY TRAIL OF BLOOD THROUGH PISTORIUS'S HOUSE: A TIMELINE OF THE TRIAL SO FAR
March 3: The trial begins with testimony from neighbour Michell Burger who claims she heard 'blood-curdling screams' before gunshots were fired at the time Oscar Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp.
His lawyer Barry Roux says he intends to call a witness to testify that Pistorius screams sounded like a woman in a bid to discredit the claims.
March 4: Pistorius breaks down in court as Mr Roux argues that Miss Steenkamp was so badly brain damaged by the gunshot to her head she couldn't possibly have screamed for help.
Physically sick: Oscar Pistorius vomits into a bucket as the pathologist who carried out the post-mortem on Reeva Steenkamp gave a graphic account of her injuries
March 5: Mr Roux seeks to undermine the testimony of a couple who say they heard a woman's screams and gunfire on the night the athlete shot his girlfriend.
Barry Roux said similarities in the accounts given by husband and wife Michell Burger and Charl Johnson indicated they had aligned their versions at the expense of the truth.
March 6: Pistorius weeps in the dock as a neighbour describes the harrowing moment he tried to resuscitate his girlfriend after she was shot.
Radiologist Johan Stipp dashed to the Paralympian's home after hearing gunshots to find Pistorius kneeling next to Reeva Steenkamp and 'praying to God' that she would survive, the trial heard.
March 8: A former girlfriend who claims Pistorius dumped her for Miss Steenkamp testifies that he once shot at a traffic light because he was furious that a police officer had touched his gun.
March 10: Pistorius vomits in court when a pathologist describes how he shot Miss Steenkamp with so-called cop-killer Black Talon bullets which are designed to 'expand and mushroom' to inflict maximum damage.
Aftermath of the killing: This picture of Oscar Pistorius, bare-chested and covered in blood from the waist down, was taken by police shortly after the Paralympian shot Reeva Steenkamp at his home
March 11: A friend tells the judge that the Paralympian has a 'big love' of weapons and recalls the time the athlete laughed after allegedly firing his gun out of the sunroof of a car.
March 12: A forensic analyst stages a dramatic courtroom reconstruction of the moment Pistorius broke down the toilet door with a cricket bat after shooting Miss Steenkamp.
Police colonel Johannes Vermeulen argued that Pistorius was on his stumps at the time, contradicting the Paralympian's assertion that he was wearing his prosthetic legs.
March 13: Horrific pictures following the trail of blood through Pistorius's house are shown at the trial - including one of his girlfriend's corpse that made the athlete throw up in the dock.
The image of Miss Steenkamp's blood-covered body was accidentally shown while the prosecution was showing other images including the cocked 9mm pistol used to kill the model.
Shocking: Blood can be seen down the athlete's left arm and on his shorts apparently from when he carried his dead girlfriend down the stairs after shooting her in the bathroom
March 14: Dramatic pictures are shown to the court of a bare-chested Pistorius with blood all over his shorts and prosthetic legs shortly after killing his model girlfriend.
March 17: A gun licenser testifies that Pistorius was in the process of buying seven guns - three shotguns, two revolvers, semi-automatic assault rifle and another self-loading rifle - at the time he killed his girlfriend.
The order, which came to $5,000 (£3,000), was cancelled a month after the shooting.
Earlier, the court heard the double-amputee had a 'great love and enthusiasm' for guns and once went into full 'combat mode' after hearing a possible intruder at his home.
The noise turned out to be a washing machine.
Pistorius had also passed self-defence tests that stated you shouldn't fire unless you knew what you are shooting at and what lay behind the target, the trial heard.
Key evidence: Forensic analyst Colonel Johannes Vermeulen stands in front of the toilet door through which Oscar Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp while holding the cricket bat the athlete then used to break it down
March 19: The trial is told that Pistorius looked at porn and car websites the night before he killed Miss Steenkamp.
He breaks down in the dock as a ballistics expert tells Pretoria's High Court that Miss Steenkamp was struck in the hip by the first bullet, then fell back on to a magazine holder by the toilet.
She was then hit by another two bullets which struck her in the right arm and her skull as she crossed her arms over her head to protect herself.
March 20: It is revealed by the runner's lawyer that he has been forced to sell the luxury villa where he shot Miss Steenkamp to raise money to pay for his legal bills.
March 24: The court hears how the 29-year-old model admitted to being scared of the South African track star in text messages sent less than three weeks before her death.
One of them read: 'I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me'. A later text said: 'I can’t be attacked by outsider for dating u and be attacked by you the person I deserve protection from.'
Scene of horror: This newly released photograph shows the blood-soaked bathroom where Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the toilet cubicle (top) with his 9mm pistol (seen lying on a bathmat, right) and the blood-splattered cricket bat (bottom right) he used to break down the toilet door after killing her
March 25: A selfie of Miss Steenkamp blowing a kiss which she sent to Pistorius weeks before he killed her is shown to the court.
March 28: Trial is adjourned until April 7 after one of the judge's two assessors is taken ill in hospital.
April 7: Pistorius takes the witness stand. He starts his testimony with a tearful apology to Miss Steenkamp's family, saying: 'I can’t imagine the pain and the sorrow and the emptiness that I’ve caused you and your family. I was simply trying to protect Reeva.'
He tells the court the shooting has left him plagued by nightmares which he wakes up from 'smelling blood' and that he is taking anti-depressant medication to help with panic attacks.
April 8: Pistorius wails on the stand as he speaks in public for the first time about the moment he killed Miss Steenkamp.
The Paralympian said he heard the noise of the bathroom window opening. 'That's the moment that everything changed,' he said, his voice tense with emotion. 'Before I knew it, I'd fired four shots.'
He wept so uncontrollably the court was forced to adjourn for the day.
April 9: Mr Nel urges Pistorius to publicly 'take responsibility' for the killing while telling him to look at a graphic image of the gunshot wound to Miss Steenkamp's head.
April 10: In a newspaper interview, Miss Steenkamp's mother, June, says she does not care whether Pistorius is jailed for shooting her daughter because nothing will bring her back.
In court, Mr Nel accuses the athlete of being an egotistical liar and says his apology to Miss Steenkamp's family was an insincere 'spectacle'.
April 11: Mr Nel tells Pistorius: 'You knew that Reeva went behind the door and you shot at her'.
April 13: In an interview with the Mail On Sunday, Miss Steenkamp's older sister brands the runner a 'disgusting liar' after attending some of his testimony in court with her mother.
Simone Steenkamp, 48, said: 'He is trying to convince the court that they were really close and that he cared for her. It's not true.'
Pistorius wails 'I did not fire at Reeva' while denying intentionally shooting the model after prosecutor claims he 'lowered his aim to kill her'
April 14: Pistorius wails 'I did not fire at Reeva' while denying intentionally shooting the model after prosecutor claims he 'lowered his aim to kill her'.
UCHUNGU WA MWANA AUJUAE NI MAMA'' I LOVE AND PRAY FOR YOU TO GET JUSTICE FOR YOUR PRETTY DAUGHTER' REEVA'' MUNGU AZIDI KUKUKUPA NGUVU MAMA''
Brave: Miss Steenkamp's mother, June, looks stony-faced towards Pistorius as he is led by prosecutor Gerrie Nel through the fine details of the moments leading up to her daughter's death'
Flora Lyimo say~ Jamani mimi nimekuwa nafuatilia sana hii habari na kesi cha mauwaji ya Mwanamke mwenzetu alie uliwa kwa kudhaniwa kwamba ni Mwizi ''Yani Uwe na Mwanamme umpende na kumuonyesha mapenzi yote(which ) kadi ya Valentine day ambayo Reeva His Girlfriend alikuwa amemuandalia imezibitisha yote leo huko mahakamani'' sasa basi '' Huyu Muuwaji Pistorius ALIKUWA KAMUANDALIA NINI ? NA NI KWANINI HATA SIKU MOJA HAJA WAHI KUMUAMBIA HATA HE LOVE HER ''? YANI CHAT ZAO KWENYE SIM ZOTE HAKUNA HATA MOJA INAYOSEMA I LOVE YOU ''NOTHING KABISA THAT 'LOVE' IS WHAT PENDINE INGEONYESHA HE LOVE HER '' HE DIDNT BADALA YAKE NI KUMUWEKA NDANI KAMA MWIZI ? KWELI KAMA HATA FUNGWA NITAAMINI WANAWAKE TUTAISHIA KUULIWA KAMA KUKU'' NA KULIWA VILE VILE'' KINA MAMA WE NEED TO STAND UP AND SEMA YOTE 'MSIOGOPE WAKATI MNAPEWA VIPONDO NA WAUME ZENU MNANYAMAZA KIMNYA NA MKIULIZWA MMEFANYA NINI MNASEMA MMEANGUKA MARA NI BAHATI MBAYA MMEMWAGIKIWA MAFUTA YA MOTO MKIPIKA'' MSIKUBALI KABISA KUNYANYASWA'' NA FANYANI KAZI KWA BIDII 'ILI MUWE NA CHENI NA KUEPUKA MANYANYASO KUTOKA KWA HAO WANAUME'' I LOVE YOU AND PLEASE LETS PRAY FOR OUR REEVA JUSTICE''
Flora Lyimo say~ Jamani mimi nimekuwa nafuatilia sana hii habari na kesi cha mauwaji ya Mwanamke mwenzetu alie uliwa kwa kudhaniwa kwamba ni Mwizi ''Yani Uwe na Mwanamme umpende na kumuonyesha mapenzi yote(which ) kadi ya Valentine day ambayo Reeva His Girlfriend alikuwa amemuandalia imezibitisha yote leo huko mahakamani'' sasa basi '' Huyu Muuwaji Pistorius ALIKUWA KAMUANDALIA NINI ? NA NI KWANINI HATA SIKU MOJA HAJA WAHI KUMUAMBIA HATA HE LOVE HER ''? YANI CHAT ZAO KWENYE SIM ZOTE HAKUNA HATA MOJA INAYOSEMA I LOVE YOU ''NOTHING KABISA THAT 'LOVE' IS WHAT PENDINE INGEONYESHA HE LOVE HER '' HE DIDNT BADALA YAKE NI KUMUWEKA NDANI KAMA MWIZI ? KWELI KAMA HATA FUNGWA NITAAMINI WANAWAKE TUTAISHIA KUULIWA KAMA KUKU'' NA KULIWA VILE VILE'' KINA MAMA WE NEED TO STAND UP AND SEMA YOTE 'MSIOGOPE WAKATI MNAPEWA VIPONDO NA WAUME ZENU MNANYAMAZA KIMNYA NA MKIULIZWA MMEFANYA NINI MNASEMA MMEANGUKA MARA NI BAHATI MBAYA MMEMWAGIKIWA MAFUTA YA MOTO MKIPIKA'' MSIKUBALI KABISA KUNYANYASWA'' NA FANYANI KAZI KWA BIDII 'ILI MUWE NA CHENI NA KUEPUKA MANYANYASO KUTOKA KWA HAO WANAUME'' I LOVE YOU AND PLEASE LETS PRAY FOR OUR REEVA JUSTICE''
BY:FLORA LYIMO FASHION POLICE BLOG
No comments:
Post a Comment