Witnesses heard “non-stop shouting” coming from Oscar Pistorius’ home
the night his girlfriend was killed, a bail hearing was told today.
The Olympic and Paralympic star was back in court for the second day of the hearing in Pretoria.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said the prosecution team has a witness who heard the shouting between 2am and 3am.
Yesterday, in an affidavit Pistorius denied murdering model Reeva Steenkamp, 29, at his home in the early hours of Valentines Day.
He said the couple were deeply in love and that he had fired four shots through the door of a bathroom at his home thinking there was an intruder in his house.
The 26-year-old arrived at the court building today in a police car with a blue blanket covering his head.
Prosecutors are set to outline the reasons they believe the double-amputee Olympian murdered his girlfriend and should be denied bail.
Pistorius is charged with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of February 14th.
This morning the South African Police Service senior investigating officer took the witness stand.
Hilton Botha argued that Pistorius should not get bail as he considers him a flight risk.
Botha also outlined some of the forensic evidence relating to the case.
He told the court Reeva Steenkamp had three bullet wounds, one in her elbow, which broke her arm, one on the right hand side of her head above her ear and a third in her hip.
Mr Botha said the shots were aimed at the toilet bowl in the bathroom, and that a cricket bat was used to break down the door.
Pistorius, who once again began crying in court, had a licence for the gun that was used to shoot his girlfriend.
Mr Botha explained that there was an unlicensed 38mm pistol in the safe in his bedroom. He told the court Ms Steenkamp’s slippers and an overnight bag were in the bedroom.
Mr Botha also told the court that both Mr Pistorius and his family attempted to access offshore bank accounts following the shooting.
Yesterday, prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the court that he would elaborate on the state’s version that the 29-year-old Steenkamp and the world’s most famous Paralympic athlete had a fight the night of her death and that she fled to the toilet before Pistorius shot four times into the locked door of the toilet enclosed in his bathroom, hitting her three times and killing her.
Since Pistorius has been charged with premeditated murder, the magistrate said his defense must offer “exceptional” reasons for him to be freed on bail.
“She locked that door for a purpose. We’ll get to that purpose,” prosecutor Nel told a packed courtroom, which had a capacity of 60 but was crammed with around 100 people Tuesday.
In an 11-page court affidavit, the Paralympic champion said he did not have his prosthetic legs on and felt “extremely vulnerable” in the predawn hours of Feb. 14 when he thought that Steenkamp was an intruder in a toilet cubicle inside his bathroom.
He said he was on his stumps when he fired into the door and then realized his tragic error when he backed away to his “pitch dark” bedroom and realized the model and law graduate, whom he had been dating for a few months, was not in bed.
The state is claiming that the shooting was premeditated and that Pistorius took time to put on his prosthetic legs and walk seven meters (20 feet) to the toilet before opening fire.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said the prosecution team has a witness who heard the shouting between 2am and 3am.
Yesterday, in an affidavit Pistorius denied murdering model Reeva Steenkamp, 29, at his home in the early hours of Valentines Day.
He said the couple were deeply in love and that he had fired four shots through the door of a bathroom at his home thinking there was an intruder in his house.
The 26-year-old arrived at the court building today in a police car with a blue blanket covering his head.
Prosecutors are set to outline the reasons they believe the double-amputee Olympian murdered his girlfriend and should be denied bail.
Pistorius is charged with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of February 14th.
This morning the South African Police Service senior investigating officer took the witness stand.
Hilton Botha argued that Pistorius should not get bail as he considers him a flight risk.
Botha also outlined some of the forensic evidence relating to the case.
He told the court Reeva Steenkamp had three bullet wounds, one in her elbow, which broke her arm, one on the right hand side of her head above her ear and a third in her hip.
Mr Botha said the shots were aimed at the toilet bowl in the bathroom, and that a cricket bat was used to break down the door.
Pistorius, who once again began crying in court, had a licence for the gun that was used to shoot his girlfriend.
Mr Botha explained that there was an unlicensed 38mm pistol in the safe in his bedroom. He told the court Ms Steenkamp’s slippers and an overnight bag were in the bedroom.
Mr Botha also told the court that both Mr Pistorius and his family attempted to access offshore bank accounts following the shooting.
Yesterday, prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the court that he would elaborate on the state’s version that the 29-year-old Steenkamp and the world’s most famous Paralympic athlete had a fight the night of her death and that she fled to the toilet before Pistorius shot four times into the locked door of the toilet enclosed in his bathroom, hitting her three times and killing her.
Since Pistorius has been charged with premeditated murder, the magistrate said his defense must offer “exceptional” reasons for him to be freed on bail.
“She locked that door for a purpose. We’ll get to that purpose,” prosecutor Nel told a packed courtroom, which had a capacity of 60 but was crammed with around 100 people Tuesday.
In an 11-page court affidavit, the Paralympic champion said he did not have his prosthetic legs on and felt “extremely vulnerable” in the predawn hours of Feb. 14 when he thought that Steenkamp was an intruder in a toilet cubicle inside his bathroom.
He said he was on his stumps when he fired into the door and then realized his tragic error when he backed away to his “pitch dark” bedroom and realized the model and law graduate, whom he had been dating for a few months, was not in bed.
The state is claiming that the shooting was premeditated and that Pistorius took time to put on his prosthetic legs and walk seven meters (20 feet) to the toilet before opening fire.
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