Pistorius defence submits summary of arguments

The defence in the murder trial of South African Olympic sprinter, Oscar Pistorius, on Monday submitted a summary of its arguments to the judge, moving the trial into its final phase.
The handover of the documents was done behind closed doors on Monday, following the same procedure last week.
The 27-year-old double-amputee athlete has been on trial since March 3 for the premeditated murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model.
A total of 36 people testified over 39 days and the main arguments made by the defence includes that Pistorius panicked on the night of the killing because his disability made him feel extremely vulnerable in a country with high levels of violent crime.
The neighbours testified they heard the screams of a woman about 170 metres from the crime scene.
Other witnesses, who live closer to the house, said they only heard a male screaming.
Mistakes made by the police while securing the crime scene led to a questionable police report, which explains why some of Pistorius’ statements don’t match the report.
A pathologist said it remained unclear at what time Steenkamp last ate on the night of her death, contradicting a pathologist called by the prosecution, who said Steenkamp ate at about 1am.
The court said the prosecution has made five key arguments, which includes that neighbours heard loud fighting and screams before Pistorius fired the shots that killed Steenkamp in the early hours of February 14.
It said Pistorius’ claim that he got out of bed to confront an intruder without first making sure his girlfriend was next to him and alright is improbable.
It said the position of Steenkamp’s body suggested she was talking to Pistorius behind the closed door when the shots were fired.
Also that a pathologist report showed Steenkamp had eaten at about 1am, contradicting Pistorius’ claim that the couple went to bed early.
It added that Steenkamp was fully dressed when she was killed.
Other clothing items were neatly folded in her overnight bag, suggesting she was planning to leave after the fight.
The defence and prosecution would publicly present their closing arguments on August 7 and 8, after which Judge Thokozile Masipa would issue her verdict.
There is no trial by jury in South Africa, so Masipa alone would decide Pistorius’ fate.
Pistorius, if found guilty of premeditated murder, could face a life sentence of at least 25 years in prison.
The sprinter, whose legs were amputated at the knee as an infant because of a congenital abnormality, became the first amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes in the 2012 London Olympics.
dpa/NAN.