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| Pistorius Team Begins His Defense | Pistorius Team Begins His Defense |
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| PRETORIA, South Africa — The trial of Oscar Pistorius resumed on Monday as the defense began to lay out its case that the double-amputee track star killed his girlfriend in a tragic error and should not go to jail for murder. | PRETORIA, South Africa — The trial of Oscar Pistorius resumed on Monday as the defense began to lay out its case that the double-amputee track star killed his girlfriend in a tragic error and should not go to jail for murder. |
| Mr. Pistorius, 27, who competed in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2012, faces a minimum 25-year sentence if he is convicted of premeditated murder in the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp, a law graduate and model, on Feb. 14, 2013. | Mr. Pistorius, 27, who competed in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2012, faces a minimum 25-year sentence if he is convicted of premeditated murder in the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp, a law graduate and model, on Feb. 14, 2013. |
| He has denied the charge, saying he believed he was shooting at an intruder in his luxurious home when he fired four rounds from a handgun through a bathroom door, only to discover that Ms. Steenkamp, 29, was locked inside. | He has denied the charge, saying he believed he was shooting at an intruder in his luxurious home when he fired four rounds from a handgun through a bathroom door, only to discover that Ms. Steenkamp, 29, was locked inside. |
| The runner is expected to testify, but it was not immediately clear when he would take the stand for the first time. The defense called a pathologist, Jan Botha, as its first witness on Monday. | |
| As Dr. Botha began his testimony by describing the contents of Ms. Steenkamp’s stomach, Mr. Pistorius held his head in his hands and placed his fingers in his ears. A court official placed a green bucket near him, apparently in case he needed to vomit, as happened earlier in the trial. | As Dr. Botha began his testimony by describing the contents of Ms. Steenkamp’s stomach, Mr. Pistorius held his head in his hands and placed his fingers in his ears. A court official placed a green bucket near him, apparently in case he needed to vomit, as happened earlier in the trial. |
| Dr. Botha testified that a forensic technique used by the prosecution to establish the time of Ms. Steenkamp’s last meal was unreliable. | Dr. Botha testified that a forensic technique used by the prosecution to establish the time of Ms. Steenkamp’s last meal was unreliable. |
| The court was shown grisly photos of blood all over the bathroom, prompting Mr. Pistorius to try to block out the images and testimony. During a brief recess, he sobbed in the dock as his brother and sister tried to comfort him. | The court was shown grisly photos of blood all over the bathroom, prompting Mr. Pistorius to try to block out the images and testimony. During a brief recess, he sobbed in the dock as his brother and sister tried to comfort him. |
| The trial had been delayed for a week by the illness of a judicial assessor — one of two officials assisting Judge Thokozile Masipa. South Africa does not have jury trials, so it will be up to the judge to determine guilt or innocence. | The trial had been delayed for a week by the illness of a judicial assessor — one of two officials assisting Judge Thokozile Masipa. South Africa does not have jury trials, so it will be up to the judge to determine guilt or innocence. |
| The prosecution has sought to present Mr. Pistorius as irascible, possessive and trigger-happy. Prosecution witnesses have testified that they heard screams and shots coming from his house in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013. | The prosecution has sought to present Mr. Pistorius as irascible, possessive and trigger-happy. Prosecution witnesses have testified that they heard screams and shots coming from his house in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013. |
| Throughout the trial so far, Mr. Pistorius has displayed a range of emotions in the courtroom as the prosecution sought to prove that he killed Ms. Steenkamp in a violent rage. He has sobbed, prayed, thrown up, buried his face in his hands and covered his ears in response to some of the testimony. But so far, he has not spoken in his own defense. | Throughout the trial so far, Mr. Pistorius has displayed a range of emotions in the courtroom as the prosecution sought to prove that he killed Ms. Steenkamp in a violent rage. He has sobbed, prayed, thrown up, buried his face in his hands and covered his ears in response to some of the testimony. But so far, he has not spoken in his own defense. |
| “We need to know what he thought, and it’s impossible to rely on that defense without him testifying,” said Kelly Phelps, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Cape Town, referring to Mr. Pistorius’s insistence that he killed Ms. Steenkamp by mistake. “What other evidence can the court rely on to determine what you were thinking?” | “We need to know what he thought, and it’s impossible to rely on that defense without him testifying,” said Kelly Phelps, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Cape Town, referring to Mr. Pistorius’s insistence that he killed Ms. Steenkamp by mistake. “What other evidence can the court rely on to determine what you were thinking?” |