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| Pistorius and Steenkamp were 'loving couple', says lawyer | Pistorius and Steenkamp were 'loving couple', says lawyer |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The lawyer of Oscar Pistorius, the South African athlete accused of murdering his girlfriend, has denied claims the couple were unhappy. | The lawyer of Oscar Pistorius, the South African athlete accused of murdering his girlfriend, has denied claims the couple were unhappy. |
| Barry Roux emphasised that among hundreds of "loving" text messages, only four showed signs of arguments. | Barry Roux emphasised that among hundreds of "loving" text messages, only four showed signs of arguments. |
| He made his case while cross-examining a police captain who had given evidence about the couple's mobile phones. | He made his case while cross-examining a police captain who had given evidence about the couple's mobile phones. |
| Mr Pistorius denies deliberately shooting Reeva Steenkamp last February, saying he thought she was an intruder. | Mr Pistorius denies deliberately shooting Reeva Steenkamp last February, saying he thought she was an intruder. |
| The prosecution has now ended its case and the trial has been adjourned until Friday. | The prosecution has now ended its case and the trial has been adjourned until Friday. |
| The defence is particularly focusing on text messages and calls extracted from the couple's mobile phones by police Capt Francois Moller. | The defence is particularly focusing on text messages and calls extracted from the couple's mobile phones by police Capt Francois Moller. |
| Mr Pistorius previously said he had forgotten the password to his iPhone and investigators went to the US shortly before the trial began to meet Apple officials to try and gain access to it. | Mr Pistorius previously said he had forgotten the password to his iPhone and investigators went to the US shortly before the trial began to meet Apple officials to try and gain access to it. |
| 'Jealous and possessive' | 'Jealous and possessive' |
| Mr Roux tried to demonstrate that Mr Pistorious and Ms Steenkamp had arguments but these were soon resolved, the BBC's Pumza Fihlani reports from court in Pretoria. | Mr Roux tried to demonstrate that Mr Pistorious and Ms Steenkamp had arguments but these were soon resolved, the BBC's Pumza Fihlani reports from court in Pretoria. |
| Many of the text messages exchanged between the couple were affectionate in tone and showed they were in love, the defence argued on Tuesday. | |
| On Monday Capt Moller revealed he had been able to extract some 35,000 pages' worth of messages from Ms Steenkamp's phone. | On Monday Capt Moller revealed he had been able to extract some 35,000 pages' worth of messages from Ms Steenkamp's phone. |
| He said that 90% of the messages between the couple were loving, but he had picked out exceptions. | He said that 90% of the messages between the couple were loving, but he had picked out exceptions. |
| In one message sent on 27 January 2013, Ms Steenkamp wrote: "I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and of how you react to me." | In one message sent on 27 January 2013, Ms Steenkamp wrote: "I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and of how you react to me." |
| The message was sent after the couple had a row when he accused her of flirting with another man at a friend's engagement dinner - weeks before he shot her dead. | The message was sent after the couple had a row when he accused her of flirting with another man at a friend's engagement dinner - weeks before he shot her dead. |
| In another message written a week before her death, she said: "I can't be attacked by outsiders for dating you and be attacked by you - the one person I deserve protection from." | In another message written a week before her death, she said: "I can't be attacked by outsiders for dating you and be attacked by you - the one person I deserve protection from." |
| Correspondents say some of these messages could prove extremely damaging for Mr Pistorius. | Correspondents say some of these messages could prove extremely damaging for Mr Pistorius. |
| Ms Steenkamp's messages paint a picture of the athlete as a jealous and possessive boyfriend prone to anger. | Ms Steenkamp's messages paint a picture of the athlete as a jealous and possessive boyfriend prone to anger. |
| The texts between the couple also suggest Mr Pistorius asked Ms Steenkamp to keep quiet over an incident in January 2013 where he allegedly fired a gun at a restaurant - another charge he denies. | The texts between the couple also suggest Mr Pistorius asked Ms Steenkamp to keep quiet over an incident in January 2013 where he allegedly fired a gun at a restaurant - another charge he denies. |
| "Angel please don't say a thing to any one... I can't afford for that to come out," he wrote. | "Angel please don't say a thing to any one... I can't afford for that to come out," he wrote. |
| Oscar Pistorius murder trial mobile phone messages | Oscar Pistorius murder trial mobile phone messages |
| Trial extended | Trial extended |
| The trial was due to end this week but has been extended and will now run until the middle of May. | The trial was due to end this week but has been extended and will now run until the middle of May. |
| The prosecution says it will call upon four more witnesses before closing its case. | The prosecution says it will call upon four more witnesses before closing its case. |
| The defence team will then call upon its own witnesses, including Mr Pistorius himself. | The defence team will then call upon its own witnesses, including Mr Pistorius himself. |
| Last week the trial heard evidence from ballistics experts and computer forensic teams who described the sequence and timing of the shots that killed Ms Steenkamp. | Last week the trial heard evidence from ballistics experts and computer forensic teams who described the sequence and timing of the shots that killed Ms Steenkamp. |
| Mr Pistorius is a double amputee who holds six Paralympic medals and competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. | Mr Pistorius is a double amputee who holds six Paralympic medals and competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. |
| The prosecution accuses him of intentionally shooting Ms Steenkamp - a model, reality TV celebrity and law graduate - after an argument. | The prosecution accuses him of intentionally shooting Ms Steenkamp - a model, reality TV celebrity and law graduate - after an argument. |
| But the athlete maintains he believed his girlfriend was in bed and that an intruder had entered the bathroom when he shot at the toilet door in the early hours of 14 February 2013. | But the athlete maintains he believed his girlfriend was in bed and that an intruder had entered the bathroom when he shot at the toilet door in the early hours of 14 February 2013. |
| There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors. | There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors. |
| If found guilty, the 27-year-old - dubbed the "blade runner" because of the prosthetic limbs he wore to race - could face life imprisonment. | If found guilty, the 27-year-old - dubbed the "blade runner" because of the prosthetic limbs he wore to race - could face life imprisonment. |