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| Prosecutor Targets Pistorius’s Claims of Safety Fears | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Oscar Pistorius appeared flustered, agitated and tired at his murder trial on Friday, the third day of cross-examination by a relentless prosecutor who accused him of shooting his girlfriend in the head during an argument. | |
| From the beginning of the trial, much of which has been televised, Mr. Pistorius has insisted that he shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, 29, four times through a locked bathroom door in his home because he had mistaken her for an intruder. | From the beginning of the trial, much of which has been televised, Mr. Pistorius has insisted that he shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, 29, four times through a locked bathroom door in his home because he had mistaken her for an intruder. |
| But on Friday, Gerrie Nel, a prosecutor nicknamed the Pit Bull, zeroed in on the discrepancies of Mr. Pistorius’s account of events, at times reducing him to tears and prompting him to apologize to the judge for contradicting himself. | But on Friday, Gerrie Nel, a prosecutor nicknamed the Pit Bull, zeroed in on the discrepancies of Mr. Pistorius’s account of events, at times reducing him to tears and prompting him to apologize to the judge for contradicting himself. |
| In one dramatic exchange in the courtroom in Pretoria, South Africa, Mr. Nel said it defied comprehension that Ms. Steenkamp had not screamed, as Mr. Pistorius asserted, when he shot her in the head. He also said that if Mr. Pistorius had truly feared an intruder, then it was inconceivable that he would not have checked that Ms. Steenkamp was safe before drawing his gun. He accused Mr. Pistorius, a double-amputee Paralympian, of killing Ms. Steenkamp, a law school graduate and budding reality television star, in a murderous rage. | |
| “She was standing there talking to you when you shot her in the head,” Mr. Nel said. She was not scared of an intruder, he said, “she was scared of you.” | “She was standing there talking to you when you shot her in the head,” Mr. Nel said. She was not scared of an intruder, he said, “she was scared of you.” |
| “You shot at her knowing she was behind that door,” he added. | “You shot at her knowing she was behind that door,” he added. |
| Mr. Nel asked why an intruder would break into Mr. Pistorius’s home and then lock himself in a bathroom. He questioned why Mr. Pistorius had not fled his bedroom — the closest route to safety — but instead had gone toward danger, wielding a loaded gun. | Mr. Nel asked why an intruder would break into Mr. Pistorius’s home and then lock himself in a bathroom. He questioned why Mr. Pistorius had not fled his bedroom — the closest route to safety — but instead had gone toward danger, wielding a loaded gun. |
| Mr. Pistorius replied that he did not balk when faced with danger. He said: “I didn’t want to take anyone’s life. I was never ready to shoot. I was trying to see what was happening in my home.” | |
| “If you stayed in that room, Reeva would have been alive,” Mr. Nel responded. “I am testing you on a version that isn’t true.” | “If you stayed in that room, Reeva would have been alive,” Mr. Nel responded. “I am testing you on a version that isn’t true.” |
| The prosecutor also asked how it was possible that Mr. Pistorius had heard the sound of a window sliding open — his stated reason for fearing that a burglar was in the house, which prompted him to grab a gun — when there were loud ventilation fans nearby. | The prosecutor also asked how it was possible that Mr. Pistorius had heard the sound of a window sliding open — his stated reason for fearing that a burglar was in the house, which prompted him to grab a gun — when there were loud ventilation fans nearby. |
| The trial has offered two markedly different portrayals of the defendant. In the defense’s account, Mr. Pistorius, 27, is a love-struck boyfriend who accidentally shot Ms. Steenkamp and is devastated by his loss. But prosecutors have presented Mr. Pistorius as a trigger-happy, self-obsessed bully who killed Ms. Steenkamp and then constructed an elaborate cover-up. | |
| Mr. Pistorius’s lawyers have argued that he felt vulnerable after having been the victim of 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 not reported those crimes to the police. | Mr. Pistorius’s lawyers have argued that he felt vulnerable after having been the victim of 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 not reported those crimes to the police. |
| He told the court that the exclusive gated community in Pretoria where Mr. Pistorius lived had bolstered security measures shortly before the shooting took place, on Feb. 14, 2013, and noted that Mr. Pistorius felt so secure there that he had left his two cars parked outside. | He told the court that the exclusive gated community in Pretoria where Mr. Pistorius lived had bolstered security measures shortly before the shooting took place, on Feb. 14, 2013, and noted that Mr. Pistorius felt so secure there that he had left his two cars parked outside. |
| Mr. Pistorius appeared rattled when he was asked about his home security measures. He said he had activated the alarm system the night of the shooting, even though he was concerned that workers might have removed security beacons. Mr. Nel asked why he had not mentioned this before. | Mr. Pistorius appeared rattled when he was asked about his home security measures. He said he had activated the alarm system the night of the shooting, even though he was concerned that workers might have removed security beacons. Mr. Nel asked why he had not mentioned this before. |
| “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 added. | “I think you are trying to cover up for lies,” Mr. Nel added. |
| At one point, Mr. Pistorius told Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa he was tired, and she asked if he was too exhausted to proceed. “If you are tired, and you are making mistakes because you are tired, you must say so,” Judge Masipa said. Mr. Pistorius replied that he wanted to continue. | |
| He testified that he once had been shot at while driving on a highway, and saw a muzzle flash and heard a bang. But Mr. Nel challenged the account, asking him why he had not reported the episode. Mr. Pistorius said he had not done so because he did not think that the police would do anything about it. | He testified that he once had been shot at while driving on a highway, and saw a muzzle flash and heard a bang. But Mr. Nel challenged the account, asking him why he had not reported the episode. Mr. Pistorius said he had not done so because he did not think that the police would do anything about it. |
| Mr. Nel has at times induced gasps in court with his tactics, including showing a graphic image of Ms. Steenkamp’s bloodied head, with parts of her brain spilling out. | Mr. Nel has at times induced gasps in court with his tactics, including showing a graphic image of Ms. Steenkamp’s bloodied head, with parts of her brain spilling 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.” |