by Zara Mustapha

Paralympian star, Oscar Pistorius broke down and cried on the witness stand today while publicly apologising to Reeva Steekamp’s family for the first time about the night he shot her dead.

Pistorius has pleaded not guilty, saying that he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder hiding in the toilet at his home.

According to reports, the paralympian was prepared to give evidence when he was overcome with emotion during graphic forensic testimony about the death of  his 29-year-old model and law graduate Steenkamp from the first witness called by the defense.

Daily Mail reports:

He sobbed loudly and threw up into a bucket as had happened during previous sessions last month when the court heard details of Steenkamp’s autopsy and reviewed pictures of the blood-stained toilet and bathroom.

The amputee runner is accused of killing Miss Steenkamp deliberately by firing four rounds from a 9mm pistol through a locked toilet door after an argument.

 

Isolated: Oscar Pistorius has cut a lonely figure since his trial started on March 3, saying little since his ‘not guilty’ plea besides the occasional ‘yes, milady’ to Judge Thokozile Masipa

 

Tough testimony: Pistorius (back right) covers his eyes as prosecutor Gerrie Nel (front )cross-examines pathologist Jan Botha about a wound on Reeva Steenkamp’s back, which is shown on monitors in court

 

Graphic: Pistorius covers his ears as the court hears details of Miss Steenkamp’s bullet wound to the hip, shown above on monitors in the court room

 

 

Fatal shooting: The court is shown a close-up image of the bullet wound to Miss Steenkamp’s hip

Hard to hear: Pistorius’s testimony is expected to be particularly difficult for Steenkamp’s mother, June (centre), who has sat through gruesome evidence, sometimes leaving the courtroom

The Paralympian wept court before his defence team opened its case today, calling Prof Botha in an effort to cast doubt on the prosecution’s assertion that the model ate no more than two hours before the runner killed her.

The evidence from Prof Botha is critical to the defence because Pistorius has claimed the couple were in his bedroom by 10pm on the night of the shooting.

Any indication that they were awake much later could undermine the Olympian’s account of the sequence of events.

Prof Botha told the High Court in Pretoria that the timeframe of digestion was difficult to assess because of variations in many factors, including the volume of food consumed, its calorie content and the psychology of the person who was eating.

 

Ready to take the stand: Oscar Pistorius arrives in court for the start of his murder trial where he was due to take the stand to speak publicly for the first time about the night the shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

 

Pivotal: Brian Webber, one of Pistorius’s lawyers, said they had no choice but to put him on the stand

The evidence countered statements by a pathologist called by the prosecution who said that, judging by the contents of her stomach, Miss Steenkamp probably last ate no more than two hours before her death.

During his testimony, Botha also reviewed Steenkamp’s wounds and the sequence in which the bullets hit her – a crucial detail since several witnesses have testified to hearing a woman’s screams during a volley of shots in the early hours of February 14.

Botha agreed with state pathologist Gert Saayman that the first round hit her in the hip, causing her to collapse, while the final shot hit her in the head, killing her almost instantly.

Pistorius has cut a lonely figure since his trial started on March 3, saying little since his ‘not guilty’ plea besides the occasional ‘yes, milady’ to Judge Thokozile Masipa.

How the double amputee, known as the Blade Runner, will hold up during the state’s cross-examination may prove a turning point in the case.

Brian Webber, one of Pistorius’ lawyers, said they had no choice but to put Pistorius on the stand. 

Legal experts say it’s a risk Pistorius’ defense has to take. 

In a rare comment after the prosecution closed its case, Pistorius said ‘we have a lot ahead of us.’

 

 

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Delay: His legal team has begun its case after a break of over a week due to the illness of a court official

In the five weeks since the trial began, Pistorius has appeared fragile and annoyed, frequently crying in court and being physically sick when the gruesome details of Steenkamp’s death were discussed.

Unusually, he will not be the first defence witness when his legal team begins its case after a break of more than a week due to the illness of a court official.

That will be Jan Botha, a pathologist who defence lawyer Brian Webber said had ‘personal reasons for why he has to take the stand first’.

The prosecution wrapped up its case on March 25.

If found guilty of murder, Pistorius faces at least 25 years in prison.

 

 

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

 

 

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Grim: Another graphic image shows a pool of blood at the bottom of the staircase where Pistorius carried Miss Steenkamp after shooting her. Blue arrows point to specks of blood on the wall and floor

 

 

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Graphic: In this close up shot the gun, still cocked, that was used to kill Reeva Steenkamp lies on a bathmat in the bathroom next to blood smeared across the floor

The trial has gripped South Africa and millions of athletics fans around the world who saw Pistorius as a symbol of triumph over physical adversity.

The sprinter’s lower legs were amputated as a baby but he went on to achieve global fame as the ‘fastest man on no legs,’ winning gold medals at the Beijing and London Paralympics, and reaching the semi-finals of the 400 metres in the London Olympics against able-bodied athletes.

The Pistorius testimony is expected to be particularly difficult for Steenkamp’s mother, June, who for the last weeks has sat through gruesome evidence, sometimes leaving the courtroom as graphic photos of the bloody crime scene were shown to the court.

When asked if the Steenkamp family is frustrated by the slow court proceedings, Dup De Bruyn, a lawyer representing the family, said no. ‘I’ve schooled them well,’ he said. ‘They take it as it comes.’

The Steenkamps are seeking an out-of-court settlement with Pistorius for financial compensation following their daughter’s death, though negotiations have been postponed while the case is in court.

‘That has been put on the back burner,’ said De Bruyn, who is based in Port Elizabeth, a city in the Eastern Cape province.

 

 

 

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Pistorius shot Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, through the closed door of a toilet cubicle in his home in the night, later saying he mistook her for an intruder

Pistorius was recently spotted by local media lunching with his lawyers at an upmarket restaurant in Johannesburg.

Wearing a cream jacket and light blue shirt, the athlete laughed as he ate, a marked difference from his usual stressed appearance in court, where he is seen grinding his jaw throughout the proceedings.

The trial is slated to run to at least mid-May.