The prosecutor at Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial on Friday challenged his claim he mistook Reeva Steenkamp for a burglar, pointing out apparent inconsistencies in his testimony.
The South African double-amputee Olympic sprinter faced relentless questioning from Gerrie Nel when he took the stand at the Pretoria court for the fifth day.
Pistorius has said he woke up at night, went to move fans that had been left running and did not hear Steenkamp get up and go to the bathroom.
Nel asked how it was possible for him not to have heard Steenkamp but to have heard a window slide open in the bathroom, which allegedly made him believe a burglar had entered.
The athlete was alleged to have fired four shots through the bathroom door.
Pistorius insisted he had not heard Steenkamp get up.
The 27-year-old athlete is charged with the premeditated murder of the 29-year-old model in February last year.
Nel also said the positions of the fans and bed in the room as they could be seen in police photographs did not support Pistorius’ version of the events.
The athlete then alleged that the police must have moved some of the objects before photographing them.
Nel questioned Pistorius about the alarm system in his home, bringing him to the verge of tears and saying he was too tired to remember all the details.
“If you are tired and this is the reason you are making all these mistakes, you must say so,” Judge Thokozile Masipa interrupted, but the athlete said he was able to continue answering questions.
At another moment, the judge warned Nel to watch his language.
“You don’t call a witness a liar while he is in the witness box,” she said.
Pistorius, whose legs were amputated at the knee at the age of 11 months because of a congenital abnormality, became the first amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes in the Olympics in London in 2012.
The trial is in its 21st day and is expected to continue into May.
If Pistorius is found guilty of premeditated murder, he could face a life sentence, meaning he would spend at least 25 years in prison.
dpa/NAN.
Trending
- Tinubu condoles with Iran over death of President Raisi, others in helicopter crash
- Students loan: NELFUND speaks on first beneficiaries
- Businessman arraigned for allegedly obtaining N22m under false pretences
- Yahaya Bello: Hearing in EFCC chair’s motion against contempt proceedings stalled
- Teacher arrested for beating eight-year-old pupil to coma in Anambra
- Rivers crisis: Jonathan urges Wike, Fubara to end feud
- Abuja shopping complex locked down by Military over assault on soldiers
- Alleged N6b laundering: Fidelity Bank staff testifies against Mompha