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Oscar Pistorius flounders under grilling on 'improbable' testimony Oscar Pistorius flounders under grilling on 'improbable' testimony
(about 3 hours later)
Oscar Pistorius has denied that his girlfriend was standing behind a door talking to him when he shot and killed her, during a floundering performance under cross-examination in his trial in Pretoria. Oscar Pistorius has denied that his girlfriend was standing behind a door talking to him when he shot and killed her, during a floundering performance under cross-examination at his trial in Pretoria.
In a rare intervention that is likely to worry the defence, at one point the judge, Thokozile Masipa, asked Pistorius why he was making mistakes on the stand.In a rare intervention that is likely to worry the defence, at one point the judge, Thokozile Masipa, asked Pistorius why he was making mistakes on the stand.
The prosecutor Gerrie Nel gradually zeroed in on the critical moment when the athlete crept into his bathroom with a 9mm pistol and shot four times. Forensic experts have testified that Reeva Steenkamp was probably standing behind the locked toilet cubicle door when she was hit by the first bullet, then fell backwards. The prosecutor, Gerrie Nel, gradually zeroed in on the critical moment when the athlete crept into his bathroom with a 9mm pistol and shot four times. Forensic experts have testified that Reeva Steenkamp was probably standing behind the locked toilet cubicle door when she was hit by the first bullet, then fell backwards.
Pistorius has said he opened fire because he thought intruders had broken into his bathroom, and that he thought Steenkamp was in bed. Pistorius has said he opened fire because he thought intruders had broken into his bathroom and that he thought Steenkamp was in bed.
Pistorius asserted that when he entered the bathroom he shouted to Steenkamp to call the police, so Nel demanded to know why she did not respond, describing it as the "most improbable" part of his story. Pistorius asserted that when he entered the bathroom he shouted to Steenkamp to call the police, so Nel demanded to know why she did not respond, describing it as the "most improbable" part of his story.The prosecutor said: "At that stage when you shouted at Reeva to phone the police, she was three metres away from you in the toilet, but she didn't say anything. Why would she not say anything?" Pistorius said he did not know.
The prosecutor said: "At that stage when you shouted at Reeva to phone the police, she was three metres away from you in the toilet, but she didn't say anything. Why would she not say anything?" Nel went on: "She's awake. She's in the toilet. You're shouting. You're screaming. You're three metres from her. She would have responded. She would not have been quiet, Mr Pistorius. There is no way you can convince this court that she stood there, saying nothing. Why would she do that? She would have responded."
Pistorius said he did not know.
Nel went on: "She's awake. She's in the toilet. You're shouting. You're screaming. You're three metres from her. She would have responded. She would not have been quiet, Mr Pistorius.
"There is no way you can convince this court that she stood there, saying nothing. Why would she do that? She would have responded."
Pistorius replied that Steenkamp had been through a burglary before, locked herself away and not spoken to anyone for a day.Pistorius replied that Steenkamp had been through a burglary before, locked herself away and not spoken to anyone for a day.
Nel alleged that the couple had an argument and Steenkamp fled to the toilet pursued by Pistorius. "She wasn't scared of an intruder. She was scared of you. She was scared of you," he said. "She was standing right in front of the toilet door, talking to you, when you shot her. That's the only reasonable explanation why you shot her in the head."Nel alleged that the couple had an argument and Steenkamp fled to the toilet pursued by Pistorius. "She wasn't scared of an intruder. She was scared of you. She was scared of you," he said. "She was standing right in front of the toilet door, talking to you, when you shot her. That's the only reasonable explanation why you shot her in the head."
He added: "You never perceived anybody coming out. In fact you knew that Reeva was behind the door and you shot at her. That is the only thing that makes sense. You shot at her knowing she was behind the door." "You never perceived anybody coming out. In fact you knew that Reeva was behind the door and you shot at her. That is the only thing that makes sense. You shot at her knowing she was behind the door."
Pistorius replied: "That's not true." Pistorius replied: "That's not true." Neighbours of Pistorius have testified that they heard a woman scream on the night of the killings. Nel asked him: "Did she scream at all whilst you shot her four times?" Pistorius said to the judge: "No, my lady."
Neighbours of Pistorius have testified that they heard a woman scream on the night of the killings. Nel asked him: "Did she scream at all whilst you shot her four times?"
Pistorius said to the judge: "No, my lady."
Nel barked: "Are you sure? Are you sure, Mr Pistorius, that Reeva did not scream after the first shot? Are you, Mr Pistorius?"Nel barked: "Are you sure? Are you sure, Mr Pistorius, that Reeva did not scream after the first shot? Are you, Mr Pistorius?"
There was a long, electrifying silence as the court awaited the reply. Pistorius leaned back in his chair and appeared to steel himself. There was a long, electrifying silence as the court awaited the reply.
Finally he said: "My lady, I wish she had let me know she was there." Pistorius leaned back in his chair and appeared to steel himself. Finally he said: "My lady, I wish she had let me know she was there."
Nel persisted: "After you fired the first shot, did she scream?"Nel persisted: "After you fired the first shot, did she scream?"
"No, my lady.""No, my lady."
"Are you sure? Would you have heard her?" "Are you sure? Would you have heard her?"
"I don't think I would have heard her.""I don't think I would have heard her."
"Exactly," said Nel."Exactly," said Nel.
Pistorius said: "A gunshot went off, my ears were ringing."Pistorius said: "A gunshot went off, my ears were ringing."
Nel demanded: "How can you exclude the fact she was screaming if you couldn't hear?" Nel demanded: "How can you exclude the fact she was screaming if you couldn't  hear?"
Pistorius replied: "If I couldn't hear it then I couldn't hear."Pistorius replied: "If I couldn't hear it then I couldn't hear."
Nel persisted: "No, you said, Mr Pistorius, she never screamed. You couldn't hear. You're just saying that."Nel persisted: "No, you said, Mr Pistorius, she never screamed. You couldn't hear. You're just saying that."
Pistorius told the judge: "My lady, the sound of that gunshot in the bathroom, you wouldn't have heard anyone scream. The decibels of the gunshot, I don't believe you would have heard anyone scream. When I had finished firing the gunshots, I was screaming and I couldn't hear my own voice."Pistorius told the judge: "My lady, the sound of that gunshot in the bathroom, you wouldn't have heard anyone scream. The decibels of the gunshot, I don't believe you would have heard anyone scream. When I had finished firing the gunshots, I was screaming and I couldn't hear my own voice."
The 27-year-old became agitated under a barrage of questions throughout the day. "I'm not looking for an excuse, if I don't remember it I don't remember it," he muttered during one exchange about the location of objects in his bedroom. "This is the night I lost the person I most cared about, I don't know how people don't understand that."The 27-year-old became agitated under a barrage of questions throughout the day. "I'm not looking for an excuse, if I don't remember it I don't remember it," he muttered during one exchange about the location of objects in his bedroom. "This is the night I lost the person I most cared about, I don't know how people don't understand that."
At one point Nel asked him: "Why are you changing your evidence?" At one point Nel asked him: "Why are you changing your evidence?" Pistorius, who repeatedly rubbed eyes that looked sore, said: "I'm tired, my lady." Nel leapt in: "I'm not convinced about your answer now, I think you're trying to cover up for lies."
Pistorius, who repeatedly rubbed eyes that looked sore, said: "I'm tired, my lady."
Nel leapt in: "I'm not convinced about your answer now, I think you're trying to cover up for lies."
The judge told Pistorius: "So if you are tired and the reason you are making all these mistakes is because you are tired, you must say so."The judge told Pistorius: "So if you are tired and the reason you are making all these mistakes is because you are tired, you must say so."
The court adjourned early and Pistorius told journalists he was looking forward to getting some sleep. "It's hard," he admitted.The court adjourned early and Pistorius told journalists he was looking forward to getting some sleep. "It's hard," he admitted.
The double amputee Paralympian could face life imprisonment if convicted of murdering Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, on Valentine's Day last year.The double amputee Paralympian could face life imprisonment if convicted of murdering Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, on Valentine's Day last year.