The prosecution in the ongoing Oscar Pistorius case have approached the matter with a clear game plan. First, they attack Oscar Pistorius’s account of the even that resulted in then girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp’s death.
This is then followed with damaging character testimony that paints Pistorius in the worst possible light.
The 27-year-old has long claimed that he fired through his bathroom door at what he thought was a dangerous intruder and that he understood his model girlfriend was in bed. He claims he did not know it was her that he shot until after he discovered her body.
However, prosecutors are working hard to demonstrate the exact opposite occurred; they believe it was Steenkamp fleeing for her life and that she was gunned down by Pistorius entirely on purpose.
A major blow to Pistorius’s version of events came in the form of witnesses testifying to having heard shots and in at least one case, screaming. His security guard, Pieter Baba, claimed to have heard gunshots in the early hours of February 14th in 2013. He testified that when he phoned Pistorius to find out what had happened, Pistorius apparently told him, “Security, everything is fine.”
Pistorius did phone back to tell him that he had shot his girlfriend and that she was dead. However the guard felt that the phone conversations were bizarrely contradictory.
He sobs for his misery not for her.RT @ABC: Oscar Pistorius sobs, covers ears during graphic (cont) http://t.co/wwGgtAu7Ff
— Morwen (@merchyllyn) March 7, 2014
I totally believe Oscar Pistorius' story. If you don't agree with me, that's fine. Just stop judging people you don't know #PistoriusTrial
— heartbreak girl (@niallershairdye) March 7, 2014
An ex-girlfriend testified that their relationship ended due to his cheating on her with the victim. Samantha Taylor said that when they were together he was always with a weapon. She testified to instances of him losing his temper, such as firing a bullet into their car’s sunroof after being stopped by the police and waving a gun at a person in car he thought was following them.
The combination of witness testimony that strongly undermines Pistorius’s version of events and character testimony regarding his bad temper and irresponsible use of guns have rounded out the first week of the trial.
It is important to remember that Pistorius’s fate rests in the hands of a single person—Judge Thokozile Masipa.
Whether or not Pistorius will be headed to jail depends on whether or not the prosecution can provide enough evidence to prove their case. Do you think the prosecution is relying too strongly on character testimony more so than actual evidence? Comment below!
Image via YouTube