Oscar Takes Notes While Demonstartion Goes On
Oscar Pistorius was probably on his stumps when he fatally shot his girlfriend through a toilet door, a forensic analyst has told his murder trial.
The matter of whether Pistorius was on his stumps is critical to the case as it tests his assertions about exactly what happened on the night he killed Reeva Steenkamp in his bathroom on February 14 last year.
The athlete has said he fearfully approached the bathroom on his stumps and shot Miss Steenkamp by mistake while believing she was an intruder.
According to his account, he then put on his prostheses and tried to kick down the locked toilet door and battered it with a cricket bat to get to his girlfriend after realising what he had done.
Oscar Breaks Down In Court
Evidence in court today focused on the angle from which Pistorius hit the toilet door with the bat and the bullets in a dramatic reconstruction by a forensic analyst.
Police Colonel Johannes Vermeulen said he believed Pistorius was on his stumps when he fired through the toilet door, based on the angle of the bullet marks in the door, which was on display in the courtroom alongside a recreation of the cubicle. Defence lawyer Barry Roux countered that Pistorius hit the door with a 'bent back' and that the low marks were consistent with such a body position.
Mr Vermeulen also said a steel plate in the main bathroom in Pistorius's home had been damaged by being hit with a 'hard' object, or after the object fell against it.
Oscar and Late Girlfriend Reeva
The steel plate was new evidence. A photo of the damaged plate was shown.
Prosecutors say Pistorius intentionally shot 29-year-old Steenkamp after a fight. DM
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