This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/oscar-pistorius-trial-photographs-of-paralympian-drenched-in-blood-shown-in-court-9192174.html
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| Oscar Pistorius trial: Photographs of Paralympian splattered in blood after Reeva Steenkamp shooting shown in court | |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Bare-chested, and with blood over his arms, back and prosthetic legs, Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial was shown haunting photographs of the Olympian taken by police officers who arrived at his home shortly after he shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. | Bare-chested, and with blood over his arms, back and prosthetic legs, Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial was shown haunting photographs of the Olympian taken by police officers who arrived at his home shortly after he shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. |
| On the tenth day of the trial in Pretoria, the first police officer to arrive found the runner in a "very emotional state", and trails of blood throughout the property. | On the tenth day of the trial in Pretoria, the first police officer to arrive found the runner in a "very emotional state", and trails of blood throughout the property. |
| The images were taken by police photographers recording the scene in the immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting of 29-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp. | The images were taken by police photographers recording the scene in the immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting of 29-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp. |
| Bloodstains can be seen up to his knees and on his shorts, while his chest appears to be clean. | Bloodstains can be seen up to his knees and on his shorts, while his chest appears to be clean. |
| Ex-police station commander Colonel Schoombie van Rensburg, in charge of the crime scene, led the court through the images. He said he did not arrest Pistorius immediately, but warned him to remain at the house. | Ex-police station commander Colonel Schoombie van Rensburg, in charge of the crime scene, led the court through the images. He said he did not arrest Pistorius immediately, but warned him to remain at the house. |
| He said: "I told him I observed him as a suspect at that stage. I warned him of his rights. I said to him I wasn't arresting him at that stage... I requested him to remain present at all times at the scene." | He said: "I told him I observed him as a suspect at that stage. I warned him of his rights. I said to him I wasn't arresting him at that stage... I requested him to remain present at all times at the scene." |
| The court also heard how the first officers to arrive contaminated crucial evidence, and stole one of the athlete's expensive watches. | The court also heard how the first officers to arrive contaminated crucial evidence, and stole one of the athlete's expensive watches. |
| Colonel Schoombie van Rensburg, the first police officer to arrive, told the North Gauteng High Court that he admitted a ballistics expert to the bathroom where Ms Steenkamp had been killed, and found him handling Mr Pistorius's firearm "without gloves." | Colonel Schoombie van Rensburg, the first police officer to arrive, told the North Gauteng High Court that he admitted a ballistics expert to the bathroom where Ms Steenkamp had been killed, and found him handling Mr Pistorius's firearm "without gloves." |
| Col van Rensburg said: "I was talking on my cellphone when I heard the firearm had been cocked. I stopped talking and said, 'What are you doing?' He said sorry and put the magazine back in the firearm. I was very angry." | Col van Rensburg said: "I was talking on my cellphone when I heard the firearm had been cocked. I stopped talking and said, 'What are you doing?' He said sorry and put the magazine back in the firearm. I was very angry." |
| Pistorius from the waist up, with a tattoo visible on his back, and blood on his left arm He found a case of expensive watches from one of Pistorius's sponsors in the athlete's bedroom which was marked with blood, and therefore an important piece of evidence. Later when one of the watches went missing, he conducted pat downs and searches of all the officers present. "We even searched the cars," he said, but the watch was never recovered. | Pistorius from the waist up, with a tattoo visible on his back, and blood on his left arm He found a case of expensive watches from one of Pistorius's sponsors in the athlete's bedroom which was marked with blood, and therefore an important piece of evidence. Later when one of the watches went missing, he conducted pat downs and searches of all the officers present. "We even searched the cars," he said, but the watch was never recovered. |
| He also said he kept the the toilet door through which the fatal bullets were fired, in his office for more than two weeks after the incident occurred, rather than in an evidence room, having removed it from the scene in a body bag. | He also said he kept the the toilet door through which the fatal bullets were fired, in his office for more than two weeks after the incident occurred, rather than in an evidence room, having removed it from the scene in a body bag. |
| "The newspapers were offering 50,000 to 60,000 rand [around £3,000] for a picture of the door," he said. "We had to remove it." The only bags they had that were large enough for the extra large body bags. | "The newspapers were offering 50,000 to 60,000 rand [around £3,000] for a picture of the door," he said. "We had to remove it." The only bags they had that were large enough for the extra large body bags. |
| He said he kept it in his office because "only I had a key. It was completely secure." | He said he kept it in his office because "only I had a key. It was completely secure." |
| Pistorius maintains he mistakenly killed his girlfriend believing she was an intruder, hiding behind his toilet door. | Pistorius maintains he mistakenly killed his girlfriend believing she was an intruder, hiding behind his toilet door. |
| If convicted, he faces a life sentence with a mandatory 25-year prison term. | If convicted, he faces a life sentence with a mandatory 25-year prison term. |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |