Leading forensic policeman grilled at Pistorius trial

One of South Africa’s leading forensic policemen on Thursday in Pretoria had a tough time in the witness box in the North Gauteng High Court during the Oscar Pistorius case.
The policeman, Colonel Johannes Vermeulen, had terrible moments as Pistorius’s defence attorney, Barry Roux, continued to pick apart the State’s evidence.
Paralympian Pistorius is being tried over the murder of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day last year.
Vermeulen was grilled by Roux over the cricket bat, which was used to break open a toilet door in Pistorius’s Pretoria home.
The “Blade Runner” had used the bat to break open the door after he had shot Steenkamp through it, claiming he thought she was an intruder.
The bullet-riddled door and the replica of the cubicle, complete with a toilet, had been set up next to the witness box in court.
On Wednesday, Vermeulen had testified about the marks made on the door by the bat.
Under intense cross-examination from Roux, Vermeulen admitted there was a “significant” mark, which had appeared on the bathroom door while it was in the custody of the police forensic science lab.
He agreed that this had thereby contaminated the evidence.
Earlier, Vermeulen had disputed Pistorius’ claim that he was wearing his prosthetic legs when he broke down the locked door to reach his dying girlfriend.
He claimed the disabled athlete was on his stumps both when he shot at the door and when he battered it down with a cricket bat.
Vermeulen, who holds a BSc. and Master’s Degree, has completed courses in fibre comparisons, explosives and paint analysis.
He also did a course with the trace evidence unit of the FBI in the U.S.
PANA/NAN.