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Oscar Pistorius trial: 'Pit bull' prosecutor tells court athlete 'knew Reeva was behind the toilet' door before he shot her Oscar Pistorius trial: 'Pit bull' prosecutor tells court athlete 'knew Reeva was behind the toilet' door before he shot her
(35 minutes later)
Oscar Pistorius knew girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was "behind the toilet" door when he shot her dead on Valentine's Day last year, chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel told his murder trial.Oscar Pistorius knew girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was "behind the toilet" door when he shot her dead on Valentine's Day last year, chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel told his murder trial.
Mr Nel accused the athlete of lying, "getting deeper into trouble" and tailoring his version of events as tried to poke holes in his testimony after three dramatic days of cross-examination.
"She was standing behind the toilet door talking to you when you shot her," Mr Nel claimed in court, saying the couple arguing was the only "reasonable explanation" for Ms Steenkamp to be standing behind the cubicle door and facing it, to which he immediately replied: "That's not true"."She was standing behind the toilet door talking to you when you shot her," Mr Nel claimed in court, saying the couple arguing was the only "reasonable explanation" for Ms Steenkamp to be standing behind the cubicle door and facing it, to which he immediately replied: "That's not true".
The chief prosecutor, known as the "pit bull", accused the athlete of lying and tailoring his version of events leading up to her death in the early hours of 14 February, insisting she "wasn't scared of an intruder, she was scared of you". Continuing his aggressive questioning, Mr Nel, known as the 'pit bull', told the court it is "improbable" that Ms Steenkamp "never uttered a word" to him while he approached the toilet door, screaming for the model and law graduate to phone the police.
Continuing his aggressive questioning, Mr Nel told the court it is "improbable" that Ms Steenkamp "never uttered a word" to him while he approached the toilet door, screaming for the model and law graduate to phone the police.
"Mr Pistorius, you're in the room, you're shouting, she's three meters away from you in that particular door," he said. "There is no way that you'll convince a court she stood there and said nothing.""Mr Pistorius, you're in the room, you're shouting, she's three meters away from you in that particular door," he said. "There is no way that you'll convince a court she stood there and said nothing."
A visibly shaken Pistorius insisted Ms Steenkamp did not respond or scream after he fired the first out of four shots, before adding: "I wish she had let me know". Mr Nel challenged the athlete further, signalling that he previously told the court he couldn't hear because his "ears were ringing" after the first shot.A visibly shaken Pistorius insisted Ms Steenkamp did not respond or scream after he fired the first out of four shots, before adding: "I wish she had let me know". Mr Nel challenged the athlete further, signalling that he previously told the court he couldn't hear because his "ears were ringing" after the first shot.
Pistorius claims that, while he brought two loud fans from his open balcony door, Ms Steenkamp, who was awake at the time and had just spoken to him,  stood up and headed to the en-suite style bathroom, down a 7 metre long passageway, without him knowing. Pistorius claims that, while he brought two fans from his balcony door, Ms Steenkamp, who was awake at the time and had just spoken to him,  stood up and headed to the en-suite style bathroom, down a 7 metre long passageway, without him knowing.
He mistook the sound of her opening the bathroom window for an intruder entering up a ladder, and in the pitch dark bedroom grabbed his firearm, and screamed for her to call the police. Instead, she ran into the toilet and hid. He mistook the sound of her opening the bathroom window for an intruder entering up a ladder, and, in the pitch dark bedroom, he grabbed his firearm and screamed for her to call the police. Instead, she ran into the toilet and hid.
On entering the bathroom, he fell silent because he didn't want to "reveal his position". But he perceived a sound of ‘wood moving’ behind the toilet door “for an intruder coming out to attack me” and he fired four shots through the door. Mr Nel insisted Pistorius's version is "improbable" and "far-fetched". On entering the bathroom, Pistorius told the court fell silent because he didn't want to "reveal his position". But he perceived a sound of "wood moving" behind the toilet door and mistook it "for an intruder coming out to attack me".
"Do you think an intruder would go into the toilet and lock the door?," he demanded. "It is so far-fetched that it would happen, it's improbable that you think an intruder would run into the toilet and lock the door?" He then fired four shots through the locked toilet door, three of which hit Ms Steenkamp in the arm, head and hip. Mr Nel insisted Pistorius's version is "improbable" and "far-fetched".
"Do you think an intruder would go into the toilet and lock the door?," he demanded. "It is so far-fetched that it would happen, it's improbable that you think an intruder would run into the toilet and lock the door"
There are are no juries at trials in South Africa and his fate will ultimately be decided by Judge Masipa, assisted by two assessors. The case continues.There are are no juries at trials in South Africa and his fate will ultimately be decided by Judge Masipa, assisted by two assessors. The case continues.