Oscar Pistorius recounts moment of killing

Oscar Pistorius recounts the shooting

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius described, in court, the moment he fired the shots which killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home. He recalled heard noises from the bathroom and thought an intruder was coming out.
"Before I knew it, I had fired four shots at the door," he said.
The trial of the athlete, who could face life imprisonment if convicted of murder, was adjourned until Wednesday after he broke down, sobbing.

Shortly before Oscar Pistorius described how he had shot Reeva Steenkamp, his lawyer asked him to demonstrate his height without his prosthetic legs. Gasps were heard in the overflow courtroom as he slowly walked on his stumps over to the mock-up of the toilet door. His confident demeanour changed - on his stumps he seemed self-conscious. Very few people have seen him like this and it is not an image visible to the world as his testimony is not being televised.

The court heard for the first time that the athlete had spoken to Ms Steenkamp shortly after waking up, to bring in some fans from the balcony. She had asked if he was having trouble sleeping. Another revelation was how he had whispered to her to get down and phone the police after hearing the sound in the bathroom - but there was no mention of her replying. He also did not mention having an argument with his girlfriend that night, rather describing a quiet, couple's night in. The prosecution argues that he killed her in a fit of rage and neighbours have testified to hearing "loud voices" prior to the four shots Mr Pistorius fired.

The 27-year-old double amputee denies deliberately shooting Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year. On his first day on the stand, on Monday, he made a tearful apology to Ms Steenkamp's family. The prosecution alleges that Mr Pistorius killed his girlfriend after an argument with her.
In the early hours of 14 February 2013, he said he had got up from bed to bring in some fans he had left outside, in order to cool his bedroom. When he heard a window opening in the bathroom, he said, he thought there was a burglar trying to get in. Wanting to protect Ms Steenkamp, who was not sleeping, he had gone to get his gun in the dark.

"I whispered to Reeva to get down and phone the police," he said.
He said he then went into the passage without his prosthetic legs and, overcome with fear, started screaming, and shouted for Ms Steenkamp to get to the floor.

Oscar Pistorius (l) arriving for Tuesday's proceedings in Pretoria

Reeva Steenkamp's mother, June, listened intently during the second day of Oscar Pistorius' testimony

Aimee Pistorius, the defendant's sister, hugged a family member in court

Members of the public followed the testimony from the gallery

A bucket was put in the dock in case Mr Pistorius vomited as he testified

 

Mr Pistorius is seen here leaving court on Tuesday

The toilet door slammed, reconfirming his belief there was a person or people in the bathroom, the athlete said.
"I heard a noise from inside the toilet, what I perceived to be someone coming out of the toilet," he said tearfully. At that point, he shot at the door.
After the shooting, Mr Pistorius said he had smashed in a door panel to get into the toilet, where he discovered what he had done.
"Whilst I leaned over the partition to get in, I saw the key, so I took it and I unlocked the door, and I flung the door open, and I threw it open," he said, sobbing.
"And I sat over Reeva and I cried... and um, I don't know how long... I don't know how long I was there for... She wasn't breathing." As the athlete broke down, the judge adjourned the trial.
Earlier, the athlete described how the couple had spent a quiet evening together on February 13th; Ms Steenkamp doing some yoga as he spoke to his cousin on the phone.
He had then watched TV in bed with his head resting on her stomach and she would occasionally show him photos of cars she was looking at on her phone, he said. He said that they had bought Valentine's Day gifts for each other. He had bought her a bracelet and they had been due to go the jewellers' to collect it the next day, he said.
Ms Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, reality TV celebrity and law graduate, was hit by at least three bullets while in the toilet cubicle of Mr Pistorius's home in Pretoria. Known as the Blade Runner, Mr Pistorius holds six Paralympic medals and competed in the 2012 Olympic Games.There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors.

Even if he is acquitted, South African law stipulates that the court must consider the separate, lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter. If convicted on this charge, he could face between six and 15 years in prison.  Mr Pistorius also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, which he denies. Just what is he guilty of ? Will we ever know the  truth ? The world waits with bated breath.