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| Prosecutor Targets Pistorius’s Account of Safety Fears | Prosecutor Targets Pistorius’s Account of Safety Fears |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Oscar Pistorius, the South African athlete accused of murdering his girlfriend, appeared flustered and tired on Friday as he faced a third day of cross-examination from a dogged prosecutor intent on poking holes in his assertion that he had killed his girlfriend by accident. | |
| Gerrie Nel, the prosecutor whose aggressive tactics have earned him the nickname Pit Bull, sought to undermine Mr. Pistorius’s account that he had feared for his safety the night he shot his girlfriend. The defense has argued that Mr. Pistorius felt vulnerable after having been exposed to a series of crimes, including burglaries at his home and an assault. But on Friday, Mr. Nel pressed Mr. Pistorius to explain why he had never reported any such crimes to the police. | |
| The prosecutor told the court that the exclusive gated community in Pretoria where Mr. Pistorius lived had bolstered security measures not long before the night of the shooting, and noted that Mr. Pistorius had felt so secure there that he had left his two cars parked outside. | |
| Mr. Nel rattled Mr. Pistorius when he asked him about his home security measures. The defendant said that he had activated the alarm system the night of the shooting, even as he was concerned that workers might have removed security beacons. Mr. Nel asked why he had not mentioned this earlier. | Mr. Nel rattled Mr. Pistorius when he asked him about his home security measures. The defendant said that he had activated the alarm system the night of the shooting, even as he was concerned that workers might have removed security beacons. Mr. Nel asked why he had not mentioned this earlier. |
| “You are tailoring your evidence,” he said. “You are in trouble, and you just give an explanation that’s nonsense.” | “You are tailoring your evidence,” he said. “You are in trouble, and you just give an explanation that’s nonsense.” |
| “I think you are trying to cover up for lies,” Mr. Nel said. | “I think you are trying to cover up for lies,” Mr. Nel said. |
| Mr. Pistorius told Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa, “I’m tired, my lady,” after which the judge asked if he was too tired to proceed. “If you are tired, and you are making mistakes because you are tired, you must say so,” she said. | Mr. Pistorius told Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa, “I’m tired, my lady,” after which the judge asked if he was too tired to proceed. “If you are tired, and you are making mistakes because you are tired, you must say so,” she said. |
| Mr. Pistorius replied that he wanted to continue. | Mr. Pistorius replied that he wanted to continue. |
| The trial, much of which has been televised, has offered two starkly different portrayals of the world’s most famous disabled athlete, who is accused of premeditated murder in the death of Reeva Steenkamp, 29, a law graduate, model and budding reality television star whom he shot four times through a locked bathroom door in his home. | The trial, much of which has been televised, has offered two starkly different portrayals of the world’s most famous disabled athlete, who is accused of premeditated murder in the death of Reeva Steenkamp, 29, a law graduate, model and budding reality television star whom he shot four times through a locked bathroom door in his home. |
| In the defense’s account, Mr. Pistorius, 27, a double-amputee Paralympian, is a love-struck boyfriend who accidentally shot Ms. Steenkamp, 29, when he thought intruders were in his home. But prosecutors have presented Mr. Pistorius as a trigger-happy, self-obsessed bully who killed Ms. Steenkamp in a murderous rage and then constructed an elaborate cover-up. | In the defense’s account, Mr. Pistorius, 27, a double-amputee Paralympian, is a love-struck boyfriend who accidentally shot Ms. Steenkamp, 29, when he thought intruders were in his home. But prosecutors have presented Mr. Pistorius as a trigger-happy, self-obsessed bully who killed Ms. Steenkamp in a murderous rage and then constructed an elaborate cover-up. |
| Mr. Pistorius testified that he was once shot at while driving on a highway, seeing “the muzzle flash” and hearing a bang. But Mr. Nel challenged the account, asking the defendant why he had not called the police to report the crime. Mr. Pistorius said that he had not done so because he did not think the police would do anything about it. | Mr. Pistorius testified that he was once shot at while driving on a highway, seeing “the muzzle flash” and hearing a bang. But Mr. Nel challenged the account, asking the defendant why he had not called the police to report the crime. Mr. Pistorius said that he had not done so because he did not think the police would do anything about it. |
| Mr. Nel, who is known for his relentless approach in court, has, at times, reduced Mr. Pistorius to tears. He has shown the court a graphic image of Ms. Steenkamp’s bloodied head, with pieces of brain pouring out. | |
| On Friday, Judge Masipa warned Mr. Nel not to berate Mr. Pistorius. “Mind your language,” she said. “You don’t call a witness a liar while he is in the witness box.” | On Friday, Judge Masipa warned Mr. Nel not to berate Mr. Pistorius. “Mind your language,” she said. “You don’t call a witness a liar while he is in the witness box.” |
| Mr. Nel has challenged Mr. Pistorius’s account of the events the evening of the shooting, including the fact that he had not seen Ms. Steenkamp get out of bed and go to the bathroom. | Mr. Nel has challenged Mr. Pistorius’s account of the events the evening of the shooting, including the fact that he had not seen Ms. Steenkamp get out of bed and go to the bathroom. |
| The prosecutor asked how it was possible that Mr. Pistorius had not alerted Ms. Steenkamp, whom Mr. Pistorius says was in bed, when he heard a loud noise in the bathroom. Mr. Nel also asked how it was possible that Mr. Pistorius had heard the sound of a window sliding open — his stated reason for fearing a burglar was in the house, which prompted him to grab a gun — when he was standing near loud ventilation fans. | The prosecutor asked how it was possible that Mr. Pistorius had not alerted Ms. Steenkamp, whom Mr. Pistorius says was in bed, when he heard a loud noise in the bathroom. Mr. Nel also asked how it was possible that Mr. Pistorius had heard the sound of a window sliding open — his stated reason for fearing a burglar was in the house, which prompted him to grab a gun — when he was standing near loud ventilation fans. |
| Mr. Nel also pointed out several inconsistencies in Mr. Pistorius’s version of events, and showed photographs indicating that a fan and curtains at his home were not where Mr. Pistorius had said they were before he shot Ms. Steenkamp. | Mr. Nel also pointed out several inconsistencies in Mr. Pistorius’s version of events, and showed photographs indicating that a fan and curtains at his home were not where Mr. Pistorius had said they were before he shot Ms. Steenkamp. |
| Earlier this week, Mr. Nel sought to undermine Mr. Pistorius’s description of his relationship with Ms. Steenkamp as a loving one. He read out text messages between the two, including an exchange in which Mr. Pistorius mocked Ms. Steenkamp for speaking in “annoying” accents. In one example, he told her to stop chewing gum in public. In another, Mr. Nel said, Ms. Steenkamp objected to Mr. Pistorius’s playing a rap song whose lyrics include an expletive and the words “Don’t Kill My Vibe.” | Earlier this week, Mr. Nel sought to undermine Mr. Pistorius’s description of his relationship with Ms. Steenkamp as a loving one. He read out text messages between the two, including an exchange in which Mr. Pistorius mocked Ms. Steenkamp for speaking in “annoying” accents. In one example, he told her to stop chewing gum in public. In another, Mr. Nel said, Ms. Steenkamp objected to Mr. Pistorius’s playing a rap song whose lyrics include an expletive and the words “Don’t Kill My Vibe.” |
| The prosecutor asked Mr. Pistorius why a review of text messages had not yielded a single “I love you” between them. | The prosecutor asked Mr. Pistorius why a review of text messages had not yielded a single “I love you” between them. |
| “I never got the opportunity to tell Reeva that I loved her,” Mr. Pistorius replied. | |
| Mr. Pistorius faces a minimum jail term of 25 years if he is convicted of premeditated murder. He says that he killed Ms. Steenkamp by accident, believing she was an intruder. | Mr. Pistorius faces a minimum jail term of 25 years if he is convicted of premeditated murder. He says that he killed Ms. Steenkamp by accident, believing she was an intruder. |