WebProNews

Tag: Oscar Pistorius murder trial

  • Oscar Pistorius: Prosecutors To Appeal Athlete’s 5-Year Manslaughter Sentence

    It seems the matter of Oscar Pistorius and the fatal shooting of former girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp is far from settled.

    On Monday the prosecution said that it would take its appeal before a court in Pretoria, South Africa on December 9.

    The defense attorney for 27-year-old Pistorius said that it’s not yet known if the former athlete will attend the hearing.

    Oscar Pistorius is currently residing in Kgosi Mampuru II, a prison in Pretoria, after being found guilty of culpable homicide in the death of Steenkamp. The charge is the equivalent of a manslaughter conviction in the United States.

    Following his conviction, Judge Thokozile Masipa sentenced Oscar Pistorius to a term of five years in jail.

    The members of the prosecution did state prior to sentencing that there was a chance that the original conviction would be appealed.

    When giving a reason for the move to appeal Pistorius’s sentence, prosecutors said that Oscar Pistorius should have been convicted of murdering Reeva Steenkamp.

    There was also some protest over the idea that Pistorius could shoot his girlfriend four times and be out of jail after serving less than a year, a punishment that prosecutors found to be “shockingly light”.

    If the appeal is successful and the murder conviction replaces the manslaughter conviction, then the picture will become considerably grim for Oscar Pistorius.

    Instead of being out of jail in a matter of months, the Paralympian would be staring down a minimum of 15 years in prison.

    Before this can happen, the prosecution must get permission from Masipa herself in order to move forward to the Supreme Court of Appeal.

    Pistorius’s defense team is planning to oppose the appeal, especially since there’s a strong chance a murder conviction will happen if the prosecution gets its case past Masipa.

    Do you think prosecutors were right to appeal the five-year sentence or should the original ruling stand?

  • Oscar Pistorius Will Learn His Fate On Tuesday. Could A Threat To His Life Allow Him To Go Free?

    Will Oscar Pistorius evade prison time or will he be locked away for years?

    Judge Thokozile Masipa will finally provide the long awaited answer to this question on Tuesday.

    It will signal a dramatic end to a situation that has held the attention of South Africa and much of the world since the day 27-year-old Pistorius fatally shot then girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

    The athlete did not deny that he was responsible for the 29-year-old’s death. However, what has been a matter of debate was whether or not the victim’s death was intentional.

    The prosecution argued that Oscar Pistorius shot her to death on Valentine’s Day 2013 following an early morning argument.

    Instead, the former Paralympian claimed that he only fired through the bathroom door because he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder.

    After an intense trial, Masipa ruled that Pistorius was guilty of culpable homicide. This charge meant he would likely avoid life in prison, but it did not rule out the possibility of jail time.

    Prosecutor Gerrie Nel is reportedly pushing for a ten year prison sentence.

    Pistorius’s defense attorneys argue that the athlete’s disability would make him vulnerable in jail.

    Nel countered that the use of Pistorius’s disability to avoid prison is disingenuous.

    “He’s not a victim,” said Nel. “He cannot be a victim. He caused [Steenkamp’s death]. We have victims in this case.”

    Allegedly Pistorius’s life was threatened by a notorious prison gang, a fact that defense attorney Barry Roux brought up in court.

    According to Roux, the 26s gang operates out of the Kgosi Mampuru Prison where Pistorius would be sent. The group is led by a man nicknamed “The General”, who has allegedly stabbed Clive Derby-Lewis and Janusz Walus. These men were jailed for the assassination of Chris Hani.

    Roux claimed that if Pistorius were placed in the same prison as this man and his gang, his life would very likely be at risk.

  • Reeva Steenkamp Cousin’s Tearful Plea: Oscar Pistorius Must Pay For Girlfriend’s Death

    As the sentencing phase of the Oscar Pistorius case continues, Reeva Steenkamp relatives are taking the stand in an effort to argue that the athlete serve jail time for killing her.

    Kim Martin, cousin of the late Steenkamp, tearfully pleaded for Judge Masipa Thokozile to send Pistorius to prison.

    Said Martin, “Everybody has suffered here, and I really think we need to send a message to society that you can’t do this and get away with it.”

    While Oscar Pistorius and his emotional response to the case has been frequently discussed in the media, there has been concern expressed that Reeva Steenkamp, the deceased victim, has been forgotten.

    Also, fear that the man who shot her will be able to walk away with virtually no punishment due to his celebrity status.

    “My family are not people who are seeking revenge,” said Martin. “We just feel that to take someone’s life, to shoot somebody behind a door, that is unarmed, that is harmless, needs sufficient punishment.”

    She also shared that in addition to wanting justice for her deceased cousin that she is “very fearful” of Pistorius. His apology for Steenkamp’s death is one that Martin does not feel is remotely genuine.

    Reeva Steenkamp was killed by Oscar Pistorius in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013. According to the 27-year-old, he accidentally killed his 29-year-old girlfriend after mistaking her for an intruder.

    Steenkamp died after he fired four shots through the bathroom door, hitting her multiple times.

    Led by Gerrie Nel, the prosecution fought to get Pistorius convicted of purposely killing Steenkamp.

    Masipa opted to convict Oscar of culpable homicide. This is the South African equivalent of a manslaughter charge.

    She felt that Reeva’s death was the result of negligence on the part of the former Olympic athlete.

    Proceedings are expected to wrap up within a couple of days with Masipa deciding Pistorius’s fate on Tuesday.

  • Oscar Pistorius: Will Paying Money To Steenkamp’s Family Help Him Avoid Jail?

    According to a testimony given on Tuesday, Oscar Pistorius has been paying money to the family of Reeva Steenkamp every month.

    It was also revealed that the 27-year-old fully intended to start up a trust fund once the trial is over.

    The surprising information came by way of Annette Vergeer, a probation officer.

    Annette was called to testify on behalf of the defense and said that the 27-year-old began to make the payments shortly after he fatally shot his 29-year-old girlfriend.

    The monthly amount paid to the Steenkamp family is said to be about $530.

    In addition to the claim, Vergeer suggested that Pistorius would not fair well in prison because of his physical disability and that he would be extremely vulnerable.

    She was the second law official called to the stand who testified that Oscar would not fare well in prison.

    Instead, the probation officer suggested that Pistorius receive a far more lenient punishment—three years of house arrest and community service.

    This is a stark contrast to the sentence being pushed for by the prosecution, which intends for him to get a 15-year-sentence. This punishment would represent the maximum time in jail possible under a culpable homicide (manslaughter) conviction.

    Despite Pistorius’s attempt to make amends to the family of his deceased girlfriend, his actions were met with some resistance.

    Vergeer revealed on the stand that Pistorius had sold his car for $34,000, with the intent to use the cash to pay restitution to Reeva’s parents.

    However, June and Barry Steenkamp firmly rejected the cash payment.

    Nel said it was because Reeva’s mother did not want to take what she felt was “blood money”.

    Steenkamp family lawyer Dup de Bruyn stated that the family is in the position to pay Oscar back the $9,500 he gave them. At present the money is used to pay monthly bills and expenses.

    The parents had wanted to announce the payments publicly, but Pistorius requested that they remain confidential.

    And so they were…until now.

    The payments are part of a defense strategy to demonstrate what a caring individual Oscar is, and why he doesn’t belong in jail. It is a tactic that prosecutor Gerrie Nel has already vocally condemned.

    Oscar Pistorius was previously convicted of culpable homicide in the fatal Valentines’ Day shooting of then girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

    Judge Thokozile Masipa is expected to hear arguments during a week long sentencing phase before making a final decision about Oscar Pistorius’s fate.

  • Oscar Pistorius Is NOT A Victim: Prosecutor Gerrie Nel Balks At Sympathetic Image

    The tear-streaked face of Oscar Pistorius has been a staple in the media since he first fatally shot his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day 2013.

    The man has weeped, wailed, and even vomited in court.

    However prosecutor Gerrie Nel has largely remained unmoved by Pistorius’s “antics” throughout the murder trial.

    When Oscar Pistorius was placed on the stand, he grilled the 27-year-old mercilessly about his behavior and the truth behind Steenkamp’s death.

    Though Oscar has been relentless in his insistence that shooting his then girlfriend was an accident, the prosecution believes that the 29-year-old was killed following an argument.

    Witnesses testified to hearing gunshots and a woman’s screams. Pistorius claimed that it was his own desperate screams that his neighbors heard in the early morning hours.

    Judge Thokozile Masipa listened carefully to both sides and in September decided that Oscar Pistorius was not guilty of murder. Instead, she ruled he was guilty of culpable homicide or manslaughter.

    Some felt that the man known as “Blade Runner” had successfully passed off a remorseful image that made himself out to be the victim of the events that left his girlfriend dead.

    And it is this sympathetic image of the athlete that has apparently greatly angered prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

    In response to claims that convicted athlete has suffered enough and shouldn’t go to prison, Nel said that Pistorius was “still alive” while Steenkamp wasn’t. This is a fact that the prosecutor felt should not be forgotten.

    On the second day of the sentencing trial phase, Nel attacked the defense’s choice to use of Pistorius’s charity work to show him as a caring and compassionate human being.

    According to the prosecution, these efforts were about his career and nothing more.

    There has also been a great deal of criticism of the suggestion that Pistorius be sentenced to house arrest and community service.

    To shoot a woman four times, even if unintentionally, and only receive a slap on the wrist is a concept that is beyond baffling to Nel.

    Instead, the prosecution is aiming to get Oscar Pistorius sentenced to the maximum under a culpable homicide conviction—15 years in prison.

    The defense has argued that jail would be a terrible choice for Oscar, and that his psychological state would greatly deteriorate. They also described him as a “broken man”.

    Do you think Oscar Pistorius should be sent to jail or given probation while undergoing psychological treatment?

  • Oscar Pistorius Could Still Get A Life Sentence

    The Oscar Pistorius case is nearing its dramatic conclusion. The latest developments have left a number of onlookers stunned.

    Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013. He has since claimed that it was an accidental killing.

    According to the 27-year-old athlete he and Steenkamp had not been arguing at the time of her death as the prosecution claimed. Pistorius said that he fired four shots through his bathroom door at what he thought was an intruder.

    Pistorius was then arrested and charged with the 29-year-old woman’s murder.

    On Thursday Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled that Pistorius was not guilty of the crime of murder.

    When Friday came, Masipa instead declared the former Olympian guilty of culpable homicide. In the United States, this would be equivalent to a manslaughter conviction.

    Pistorius’s family was thankful to see him evade a murder conviction.

    “We never had any doubt in Oscar’s version of this tragic incident,” said Arnold Pistorius, the athlete’s uncle. “It won’t bring Reeva back, but our hearts go out to her family and friends.”

    Steenkamp’s family and friends find themselves reeling from the possibility that the man they believe murdered their loved one could get away with it.

    Despite differing emotions on both sides, it’s still too soon to say for certain what the final outcome will be.

    Pistorius will return to court on October 13th for sentencing. Masipa has a long history of coming down hard on men who are violent with women.

    His “negligent” actions, as she called them, may convince her to award him the maximum punishment available: 15 years in prison.

    It’s also possible that Oscar Pistorius could be heavily fined and sent home.

    The lighter the punishment for this serious offense, the greater the likelihood that lead prosecutor Gerrie Nel may go a route not available to legal authorities in the United States.

    Nel has the option of re-trying Pistorius for murder. In order to make this happen however, he must prove that Masipa was incorrect in her interpretation of the law.

    If Masipa fails to hand down the maximum punishment, should the prosecution retry Pistorius for murder? Share your opinion below!

  • Reeva Steenkamp’s Family Expresses Disbelief over Oscar Pistorius Verdict

    The family of model Reeva Steenkamp is outraged that a South African judge did not find Oscar Pistorius guilty of murdering their daughter.

    “Justice was not served,” the family told NBC News on Friday.

    Pistorius was released on bail Friday after he was convicted of culpable homicide rather than murder. The double-amputee track star is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

    The 27-year-old has never denied shooting through the bathroom door of their house in South Africa on that fateful Valentine’s Day last year, killing his 29-year-old girlfriend, Steenkamp. He has always maintained that he believed there was an intruder in the house.

    “This verdict is not justice for Reeva,” June Steenkamp told NBC News. “”I just don’t feel like this is the right sentence … they believe his story, and I don’t believe that story … I just want the truth.”

    Reeva’s mother believes her daughter died a “horrible, painful, terrible” death and deserves far more than the verdict he received.

    “He shot through the door and I can’t believe that they believe it was an accident,” she said.

    The charge of culpable homicide, which is similar to negligent homicide in the United States, carries a minimum prison sentence of five years. However, Pistorius could be sentenced to house arrest and receive no jail time.

    The Steenkamps told NBC News that, at this point, they don’t care what happens to Pistorius during the sentencing phase of the trial.

    “I really don’t care what happens to Oscar,” June Steenkamp said. “It’s not going to change anything because my daughter is never coming back. He’s still living and breathing and she’s gone, you know, forever.”

    Pistorius’ uncle also spoke out after the verdict, saying the family was relieved that he was convicted of a lesser charge, but that there were “no victors.”

    “It won’t bring Reeva back, but our hearts still go out for her family and friends,” he said.

  • Oscar Pistorius Not Guilty Of Murder: Why He Might Still Go To Jail

    On Thursday morning at the courthouse in Pretoria, South Africa, Judge Thokozile Masipa read her summation as millions of people around the world waited for news of Oscar Pistorius’s fate.

    To the shock of quite a few people, including Reeva Steenkamp’s friends and family, Masipa determined that Pistorius was not guilty of murder.

    Pistorius wept openly as he learned that the most serious offense against him, one for which he could have been given a life sentence, was off the table.

    Masipa explained that she did not find Pistorius guilty of murder because the evidence presented by the prosecution failed to suggest that his actions were premeditated.

    The judge also dismissed the testimony of neighbors, saying that their words were not supported by the established timeline of events.

    She believed the neighbors really did mistake Pistorius’s screams for help for that of the victim as she believed the evidence showed that Steenkamp’s injuries were so severe she would not have been able to scream.

    She also felt that Pistorius’s version of events has largely remained unchanged and was supported by the evidence.

    Just because Masipa has decided that Pistorius will not be sent to prison on a murder charge does not mean that the 27-year-old athlete is completely free and clear.

    During her judgment, Masipa stated that she felt Pistorius had been “evasive” about questions asked during his testimony. She also described him as a “poor witness”.

    She also found his behavior to be “negligent”.

    This suggests there is a possibility that he could ultimately be sent to jail for the actions which resulted in Reeva Steenkamp’s death.

    The charge of culpable homicide remains on the table. If Masipa finds him guilty of this charge, he could still go to jail for a lengthy period of time.

    Depending on the final word from Masipa, the prosecution may seek to contest the judge’s ruling.

  • Oscar Pistorius Trial Nearing Conclusion: What Happens Next?

    The Oscar Pistorius murder trial has been packed with drama and shocking revelations from the very beginning.

    With the final witness called to testify for the defense, it’s expected that the trial is not far away from its highly anticipated conclusion.

    The defense will be calling yet another medical expert to testify, following the testimony on Wednesday by physician Wayne Derman. Derman’s turn on the stand was heavily criticized by chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

    Nel argued that Derman’s relationship and familiarity with Pistorius made it impossible for the man to offer an unbiased testimony. Derman had testified that Pistorius’s life-long disability made him highly anxious by nature.

    The physician said that despite his relationship with Pistorius he could provide information objectively.

    Defense attorney Barry Roux has said he should be able to wrap up defense testimony by Tuesday. It’s expected that a break will follow, after which the prosecution and defense will make their final arguments.

    The closing remarks may turn out to be the most crucial moment of the trial for both the prosecution and defense. It is the last opportunity for both sides to firmly state their cases to Judge Thokozile Masipa, who is solely responsible for determining the 27-year-old defendant’s fate.

    Pistorius is on trial for fatally shooting former girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013.

    Pistorius fired four shots through a bathroom door, allegedly because he believed an intruder had broken into his home and his life was in danger. Instead he’d killed Steenkamp, who he maintains that he somehow mistook for an intruder.

    The prosecution has presented a case that suggests that Pistorius killed Steenkamp following an argument in the early morning hours. Several witnesses claimed to have heard the screams of a woman between gunshots.

    The defense has countered that it was Pistorius himself that witnesses heard.

    Once both sides make the final arguments regarding their narrative as to what occurred that day, Masipa could find Pistorius not guilty or she may send him to jail.

    The athlete faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius Defense Scraping The Bottom Of The Barrel

    It was a bizarre week for those following the ongoing Oscar Pistorius trial. When the case resumed on Monday, the 30 day evaluation results seemed fairly open and shut at first. It was widely reported that the 27-year-old athlete was likely not suffering from any major mental disorder the night he fatally shot 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp.

    This was admittedly a huge blow to Pistorius’s defense, which was hoping that the existence of a mental disorder of some kind could halt the trial and potentially result in a not guilty verdict for their client.

    However in the days that passed, Pistorius’s lawyers have taken a bold approach in the interpretation of panel findings.

    Instead of an acknowledgement of the fact that the athlete would have been in total control of his actions on the night of the murder, his team is attempting to shift the case to focus on how traumatic the act of killing Steenkamp was for the defendant.

    Defense attorney Barry Roux read excerpts where mental health experts state that Pistorius suffers from post-traumatic-stress-disorder and depression which they believe is linked to murdering Steenkamp.

    While it’s very likely that the event had a negative effect on Pistorius and it’s not unreasonable that he would need mental health treatment, one very important fact is being overlooked: These effects have nothing to do with whether or not Pistorius meant to kill Steenkamp.

    Did Pistorius intend to kill his girlfriend? If so, it was an act of murder, a crime for which Pistorius could be punished with a 25 year jail sentence.

    Does suffering as a result of actions that may have been intentional mean that Pistorius is entitled to avoid jail time?

    That is the rather condescending suggestion that seems to be at the heart of the defense’s current tactic.

    Ultimately it’s not about what Pistorius feels now, unless his actions were genuinely not intentional.

    If Pistorius lacked a mental disorder at the time of the murder and if he was able to distinguish right from wrong, this remains the most important and relevant psychological finding in relation to the case.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius’s Defense Insists He Screams “Like A Woman”

    Now that Oscar Pistorius’s mental health results are in, it’s clear that whatever happened in the early hours of February 14th, 2014, the 27-year-old had his faculties about him.

    After a 30-day evaluation by a panel of mental health experts, it was determined that Pistorius does not suffer from any mental disorder whatsoever. On the night he fatally shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, he was capable of telling right from wrong.

    Though both the defense and prosecution accepted the panel’s findings, it must have been a serious blow to the hopes of Pistorius’s attorneys.

    Had the panel found Pistorius to possess a mental disorder that could have interfered with his decision-making, the case would likely have ended immediately with Pistorius found not guilty.

    After the beating that Pistorius’s story took during cross-examination by chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel, the defendant’s lawyers have desperately sought a reprieve for their client.

    With a mental health defense out of the question, Pistorius’s team is now attacking the centerpiece of the prosecution’s case: Reeva Steenkamp’s dying screams, which several neighbors testified that they heard around the time she was killed.

    The screams were used by prosecutors to suggest that what witnesses heard were the screams of a woman in fear of her life who was purposely gunned down by her boyfriend.

    The defense is trying to counter by saying that what witnesses heard that day was NOT the defendant’s 29-year-old girlfriend…but Pistorius himself.

    His defense called acoustics Ivan Lin to the stand, where he testified that ambient noises make it difficult to accurately identify sounds over a long distance.

    Nel insisted that the witnesses were certain that it was a woman’s screams they heard and that a woman’s screams have a more “tonal character”.

    Lin answered that he could not say for certain whether Pistorius’s neighbors were “correct or incorrect”.

    As bizarre as an argument it is to make, time is running out for the defense to convincingly prove their case.

    Failure means that Pistorius could be sent to jail for decades.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius Had No Mental Disorder When He Shot Steenkamp

    A heavy blow was dealt to the defense in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial.

    According to the findings of a panel made up of one psychologist and three psychiatrists, the 27-year-old athlete likely wasn’t suffering from a mental disorder when he killed Steenkamp.

    This report was released today following a month-long evaluation at the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.

    Pistorius admitted to fatally shooting his 29-year-old girlfriend in the early hours of February 14th, 2013. However, he claims that it was a case of mistaken identity.

    Allegedly, Pistorius felt his life to be in danger as he believed an intruder had broken into his home. Steenkamp was killed, in his words, because he mistook her for the intruder in his panic.

    “At the time of the alleged offences,” writes the panel that examined the defendant, “the accused did not suffer from a mental disorder or mental defect that affected his ability to distinguish between the rightful or wrongful nature of his deeds.”

    In other words, even if Pistorius was anxious or upset he still possessed the mental capacity to make responsible decisions…or to knowingly commit to irresponsible decision-making.

    Both chief Prosecutor Gerrie Nel and Pistorius’s defense team accepted the findings of the panel of experts, though it’s uncertain how both sides will use this information going forward.

    If the defense was going to reframe the case around Pistorius’s fragile mental state, they are most definitely going to have to rethink that strategy.

    It’s possible they may choose to emphasize Pistorius’s disability and his increased vulnerability when he is without his prosthetics.

    The prosecution will likely use the finding to show that Pistorius was clearly in his right mind during the shooting and chose to act in an irresponsible manner.

    The case against the star athlete is winding down, and a decision will likely be handed down in the next few weeks.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius Trial: The Story Thus Far

    The Reeva Steenkamp murder trial will resume on Monday. Defendant Oscar Pistorius is on trial for fatally shooting her.

    If you haven’t followed the trial at all or need a refresher then pay close attention.

    These are the must-know facts about the case that you probably missed.

    Oscar Pistorius Definitely Shot Reeva Steenkamp

    Though constantly compared to the O.J. Simpson trial in terms of media sensation and scandal, Simpson claimed to have not committed the violent offense that he was charged with.

    This case is completely different; we know that Pistorius fatally shot 29-year-old Steenkamp. The harrowing incident occurred in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013.

    The question is whether or not it was an intentional killing.

    Pistorius Claims To Have Acted In Self-Defense

    The 27-year old former Olympian claimed to have been on his stumps at the time of the incident. He also said that he was certain that an intruder had broken into his home.

    Feeling vulnerable and in immediate danger, Pistorius said that he opened fire on what he believed to be an intruder in order to protect himself. The defendant said that he didn’t realize what he’d done until it was too late.

    Prosecution Claims It Was Intentional

    Pistorius’s defense was strongly contested by prosecutors determined to out him as an emotionally manipulative murderer.

    Witness testimony for the prosecution paints Pistorius as an impulsive and irresponsible gun owner with a hair-trigger temper. Neighbors also testified to hearing a woman’s screams during the shooting.

    It is their intention to demonstrate that Pistorius absolutely meant to kill Steenkamp and is now desperate to avoid punishment.

    Is It A Mental Health Issue?

    The trial was halted for a period of about 30 days so that Oscar Pistorius could undergo a mental health evaluation.

    His defense team wanted to demonstrate the Pistorius suffered from an anxiety disorder that affected his mental state during the incident as well as the trial.

    Judge Thokozile Masipa decided that the question of the defendant’s mental state was an important one to answer.

    Following a 30 day evaluation at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, a panel of mental health experts will share their findings as to Pistorius’s mental health.

    The results of the month long evaluation could have huge repercussions for Pistorius and shape the trial’s outcome.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius: Could Psych Exam Clear Him Of Murder?

    A month has passed since Judge Thokozile Masipa ordered defendant Oscar Pistorius to undergo a mental health evaluation. The findings are expected to have a major impact on the outcome of the Reeva Steenkamp murder trial.

    The 27-year-old is on trial for fatally shooting Steenkamp, his 29-year-old girlfriend, in the early hours of February 14th, 2013.

    Pistorius claimed that he was not aware that it was Steenkamp he opened fire on and that he was certain his girlfriend was still in their bedroom. Pistorius’s defense is that the event was a terrible accident.

    However, prosecutors are working to prove that Steenkamp was deliberately murdered by Pistorius following an argument.

    According to witness testimony, a woman’s screams were heard amid gunfire, undermining the claim that Pistorius had no idea he had opened fire on his girlfriend.

    After a disastrous turn on the stand, Pistorius’s defense team has moved to emphasize their client’s mental health state in an effort both excuse his killing of Steenkamp and his behavior throughout the trial.

    This defense spurred Masipa to order Pistorius to undergo a 30 day mental health evaluation.

    Pistorius was evaluated at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.

    A panel made up of a psychologist and three psychiatrists assessed the athlete during that time period and are expected to share their findings when the trial resumes Monday.

    Pistorius’s defense claims that he suffers from an anxiety disorder. This disorder supposedly causes him to be extraordinarily paranoid about his safety and obsessed with protecting himself.

    Depending on what the panel has decided, Pistorius could find himself cleared of the murder charge. It could also seal his fate. There’s also a possibility that the findings have a direct impact on sentencing, should Pistorius be found guilty.

    If Pistorius is convicted of Steenkamp’s murder, he faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius Denies Making “Sinister” Remark

    Did Oscar Pistorius really make an intimidating remark to one of Reeva Steenkamp’s friends?

    The defendant in the Steenkamp murder trial has been accused by Kim Myers of making an inappropriate remark as they passed each other while in court on Tuesday.

    Myers, who was a potential witness for the prosecution, has been openly critical of Pistorius throughout the trial. She is also convinced of the 27-year-old’s guilt.

    Speaking for Steenkamp’s family and friends, Myers told the press, “We trust and hope that justice will prevail.”

    She claims that the 27-year-old defendant muttered to her, “How can you sleep at night?”

    The question could be construed as a reasonable one if coming from a man who is innocent and feels he has been wrongly maligned. However the time, place, and manner of the question was inappropriate.

    In addition, Steenkamp’s friend described the tone of the question as “sinister” in nature.

    Myers said that she was shocked and found the encounter “extremely disturbing”.

    She called her lawyer, Ian Levitt, to report the incident.

    Of the alleged remark, Levitt said that it’s “important to confirm” the encounter took place, especially since it reportedly occurred in front of witnesses, including journalists.

    Despite what Levitt and his client have said, Pistorius has denied through his defense attorney that he said anything to Myers.

    Defense attorney Brian Webber told the press, “I’ve asked the client and he denies that he said it.”

    The defense is expected to wrap up its case shortly and a ruling declaring Oscar Pistorius’s guilt or innocence will likely come at the end of May.

    The athlete is on trial for the murder of his 29-year-old girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. On February 14th, 2013, Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp. He claimed that her death was an accident and that he had mistaken her for an intruder.

    Meanwhile the prosecution claims that he murdered his girlfriend following a heated argument.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius Defense Is On The Ropes

    Oscar Pistorius Defense Is On The Ropes

    Oscar Pistorius’s defense team may be in serious trouble.

    For more than a year, Pistorius has claimed that what happened on February 14th, 2013 was entirely accidental.

    Pistorius stated that the early morning hours, he fired four shots through his bathroom door at what he thought was an intruder.

    The 27-year-old had pegged himself as a man frightened for his life. Pistorius claimed he opened fire because he was physically vulnerable and felt he had no choice.

    His girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was supposedly shot entirely by accident after being mistaken for that intruder. Pistorius said that he thought that she was still in bed.

    Pistorius’s version of events has been relentlessly attacked by chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

    The prosecution is convinced that Steenkamp is not the victim of a mere accidental shooting

    They are instead working to prove that Pistorius shot Steenkamp in anger and is now desperate to get away his actions.

    The defendant did nothing to successfully counter this argument when he took the stand last month. He may have made things worse.

    Pistorius, for whatever reason, gave a testimony that seemed to deviate from his original statements. His story became far more vivid and fleshed out than it had been originally. It’s almost as if he were working to explain questions raised by the prosecution rather than simply stay true to his story.

    The only way forward seemed to be to present character witnesses, persons that were there at the scene who could verify that Pistorius’s story is one he has stuck to from the very beginning.

    This is where neighbor and friend Johan Stander and his daughter Carice Viljoen came in.

    Both were at the scene of Steenkamp’s murder shortly after it occurred.

    According to Stander’s testimony, Pistorius called him in hysterics. The neighbor testified that Pistorius told him that he accidentally shot his girlfriend after mistaking her for an intruder.

    Meanwhile Vijoen testified that she was worried for Pistorius’s mental state, fearing he might commit suicide. Both seemed to believe that Pistorius was telling the truth and communicated as much when on the stand.

    The problem is that these persons, while witnesses to what Pistorius said after the shootings, were not actual witnesses to what happened that day.

    Nel implied that it’s also possible that these friends could have simply given testimony to help Pistorius avoid taking any blame for his own actions.

    There has been testimony from those called by the prosecution that Pistorius is not above asking friends to cover for him so he can avoid getting into trouble.

    All the more reason why the defense may want to work to establish reasonable doubt rather than line up friends to make excuses for Oscar Pistorius.

    This action when combined with Pistorius’s questionable testimony could do far more harm than good.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius Testimony Deemed A Fatal Error

    Even though millions were anticipating the testimony of Oscar Pistorius, the 27-year-old was in truth not obligated to take the stand.

    He could have simply sat and allowed his defense team to do their best to clear him of the charge premeditated murder.

    For all the comparisons made to the O.J. Simpson trial of the 1990s, it is here where the two media spectacles differ sharply.

    One athlete listened to the advice of his attorneys and avoided the stand like the plague. The other athlete decided it was the best way to demonstrate his sincerity.

    Many observers feel the decision by Simpson to not testify was a major contributing factor as to why he was eventually acquitted.

    After Pistorius’s tear-soaked display on the stand, some are already deeming it the nail in his defensive coffin.

    Pistorius’s every move was already the subject of numerous articles prior to his testimony.

    The athlete caused a stir every time he acted out. He often covered his ears and bowed his head. At one point the trial was briefly halted because Pistorius was violently ill.

    With such outbursts already the standard, it was not too surprising to see the athlete break down in sobs throughout his testimony.

    It could be seen as the extreme opposite of what occurs when killers sit in court accused of a vicious crime and show no emotion and no remorse. Perhaps therein lies the problem.

    Though Pistorius has never been accused of domestic violence, his excessive emotional display has alarmed some domestic violence experts. According to researchers, an exaggerated display of emotion following a violent event in an effort to garner sympathy and forgiveness is typical of controlling abusers.

    “If they were robots, nobody would date them or be with them,” said Cindy Southworth. Southworth, Vice President at the National Network to End Domestic Violence, spoke about the startling similarities between Pistorius’s emotional outbursts and the behaviors of domestic abusers.

    She said that though these persons can demonstrate a range of human emotions, “research shows they’re always in control.”

    The possibility that the athlete is merely engaging in calculated emotional manipulation is not lost on the prosecution.

    Pistorius’s behavior throughout this trial has led Chief Prosecutor Gerrie Nel to suggest that his outbursts were in fact staged.

    Nel also implied that the tears were meant to cover up the numerous inconsistencies in Pistorius’s testimony.

    When Pistorius finally left the stand it was clear to some South African lawyers that he’d perhaps done more harm than good.

    Martin Hood, a Johannesburg-based criminal lawyer, said that the former Olympian’s testimony “went downhill the moment he took the stand”.

    Hood pointed out that Pistorius emphasized that he went into a highly dangerous situation in a tactical manner. According to Hood this meant that “all of [Pistorius’s] decisions were conscious, intentional decisions.”

    The lawyer also said it didn’t reflect well on the athlete that he refused to accept responsibility for firing a loaded weapon in public.

    It’s possible that the very words spoken by Pistorius in court could end up being his undoing when the trial ends.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius Trial: Cross-Examiniation Ends

    After five grueling days, the cross-examination of suspect Oscar Pistorius came to an end on Tuesday.

    Gerrie Nel, the chief prosecutor in the high profile case, said that he had no further questions for the 27-year-old former Olympian.

    Nel seems satisfied with his questioning and what he managed to convey to the court and judge.

    Pistorius was not obligated to take the stand, but he did so. It is possible that he hoped that a testimony about his version of events would somehow act to counter what had been presented by the prosecution during the first half of the trial.

    Pistorius had confessed to the fatal shooting of Steenkamp on February 13th, 2013. According to the athlete the entire thing had been a terrible accident rather than premeditated murder.

    Pistorius said that he thought there was an intruder in bathroom of their home and that his life was in danger. He said that he was terrified because he was without his prosthetic legs and unable to physically protect himself.

    It was fear that made him fire at a stranger, not anger that made him fire at his girlfriend.

    Pistorius said tearfully that he fired four times through the bathroom door. A short while later he realized it had been Steenkamp.

    Prosecutors painted a markedly different picture of that day’s tragic events through physical evidence and witness testimony. They argued that the athelete intentionally murdered Steenkamp after a vicious argument.

    Neighbors claimed that on the morning of the murder, a woman’s screams were heard. The screaming was soon silenced by gunfire.

    Eye witness testimonies and expert testimonies about the shooting and evidence were all used to draw one simple conclusion: Oscar Pistorius is a liar who killed his 29-year-old girlfriend intentionally.

    Nel would go at Pistorius during five days of cross-examination in an effort to drive this point home. He brought up the inconsistencies in Pistorius’s testimony.

    He also accused Pistorius of a selfish and insincere emotional display meant to foster sympathy for himself at the expense of the victim’s surviving family.

    Following his intense session on the stand, Pistorius’s defense team must work hard to explain why his testimony deviated from his original statements and flowed more closely with the prosecution’s evidence.

    Pistorius faces 25 years if Judge Thokozile Masipa determines that his actions were an act of premeditated murder.

    Image via YouTube

  • Reeva Steenkamp’s Mom: Jail Won’t Bring Her Back

    Reeva Steenkamp’s Mom: Jail Won’t Bring Her Back

    Throughout this huge spectacle of a trial, almost all of the attention has been directed towards defendant Oscar Pistorius. Because of his level of fame in South Africa, everything he does or says is the subject of news articles around the world.

    It is actually rare that anyone has anything to say about those most deeply impacted by Oscar Pistorius’s fatal shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp: Her family.

    Steenkamp’s mother June has already made her sentiments known, and it’s a little shocking.

    She says that in all honesty, she does not care whether or not Pistorius is jailed for murder. While this opinion is typically the antithesis of what one expects from a grieving mother, June Steenkamp’s logic is absolute.

    She says nothing the court does to Pistorius will bring back her beloved daughter.

    Steenkamp admitted that she does not know what to make of the 27-year-old athlete’s behavior in court despite watching his every move.

    “I look at Oscar the whole time, to see how he is coping,” Steenkamp told the Daily Mirror, “How he is behaving. I’m obsessed with looking at him, it’s just instinctive, I can’t explain it.”

    She isn’t certain if his grief is sincere as he has been “very dramatic” at key moments throughout the trial.

    The prosecution in the Pistorius case has not been impressed with his behavior on or off the stand. He was outright declared an “egotist” during cross-examination and is accused of trying to emotionally manipulate his way out of a guilty verdict.

    “I don’t know whether he’s acting,” said June Steenkamp. “Most of the time he’s on his cell phone or looking down at papers or writing notes.”

    Though her heart is not in the trial outcome as it won’t bring back daughter Reeva, June Steenkamp does believe that Oscar Pistorius “has to stand up to what he’s done” and if necessary, “pay for it.’

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius: Changing His Story To Avoid Jail?

    Oscar Pistorius has been extremely emotional throughout his high profile murder trial. At one point the 27-year-old athlete vomited during expert testimony.

    Now himself on the stand, Pistorius is trying to convey his version of what occurred on February 14th, 2013.

    He claimed that after he discovered the body of 29-year-old Steenkamp, he “sat over [her] and cried”. Pistorius testified that he didn’t “know how long he was” there crying over his girlfriend. Shortly after saying this, he broke down on the stand.

    At the request of defense attorney Barry Roux, proceedings were ended a half hour early.

    Earlier, Pistorius had been asked to remove his prosthetic legs in front of the door through which bullets had been fired on the day of Steenkamp’s shooting. Pistorius had claimed that he was on his stumps and had carefully made his way through his house without the aid of prosthetics.

    During another portion of his testimony, Pistorius said that he went back to the bedroom for his gun. He also stated that he requested Steenkamp, “get down and phone the police”. This was an important detail that was not featured in previous statements by Pistorius, one that suggested a strong deviation from such behavior in the past.

    In fact there were a few intricate details that appeared in Pistorius’s testimony that were not previously addressed by him. For instance, the delay in approaching the bathroom and having heard a door slam.

    His testimony also suggested that it had been him shouting and screaming for help that morning. Neighbors claim that they heard a woman’s screams along with gunshots.

    It is curious that Pistorius’s testimony now more closely echoes the narrative set by defense attorneys as to the events of that day than his own original story.

    How is it that these various points were missing from the original statements and only addressed after a great deal of testimony for the prosecution? It is no doubt something that will be addressed in minute detail during careful cross-examination by the prosecution.

    It would be surprising if the prosecutors did not point out the discrepancies and raise the possibility that Pistorius is now lying in a desperate attempt to avoid jail.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius Testifies: Claims He Can’t Sleep

    Many an onlooker has wondered how Oscar Pistorius, accused of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, can sleep at night knowing what he did.

    The answer from the mouth of Pistorius is that he can’t, not soundly anyway.

    The 27-year-old is now testifying on his own behalf. His turn on the stand is what many have been eagerly awaiting.

    Much of what Pistorius has had to say thus far has been about how sorry he is and how much emotional trauma he has suffered.

    He tearfully claimed that he sometimes wakes up at night in a state of terror.

    Pistorius also tried to communicate his sorrow to the surviving family members of his 29-year-old girlfriend.

    “There hasn’t been a moment since this tragedy happened that I haven’t thought about your family,” said Pistorius. “I wake up every morning and you’re the first people I think of, the first people I pray for.”

    Of the events that day, the former Olympian claimed that he killed his girlfriend by accident, having mistaken her for an intruder.

    The prosecution has fought to establish cold-blooded intent. They have moved to emphasize both Pistorius’s bad temper and his excessive obsession with guns. The implication is that on that early morning of February 14th, 2013, Pistorius angrily shot and killed his girlfriend and is now lying to avoid jail time.

    Despite the picture painted by prosecutors, Pistorius has remained adamant that he mistook her for someone else and would never have shot his girlfriend outright.

    Unfortunately for the defendant, there is a mountain of contradicting evidence that he will likely answer to on cross-examination.

    There is eyewitness testimony placing a woman’s screams among the gunfire. How could Oscar Pistorius, at such a close proximity, not hear his girlfriend screaming as he fired? It has been claimed by his defense attorney that it was Pistorius himself that neighbors heard that morning.

    Pistorius may also have to answer to the questions raised by the testimony of ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor. She testified that during such displays of paranoia, Pistorius would always wake her up without fail. Why didn’t Pistorius do the same for Steenkamp?

    There are many questions that await answers far more relevant to the case than Pistorius and his ability to sleep at night.

    Image via YouTube