The defence in the murder trial of South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius submitted a summary of its arguments yesterday to the judge, moving the trial into its final phase.
The 27-year-old double-amputee athlete has been on trial since March 3, accused of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model.
The main arguments made by the defence are:
1. Pistorius panicked on the night of the killing, because his disability made him feel vulnerable in a country with high levels of violent crime.
2. The neighbours who testified they heard the screams of a woman live 170m from the crime scene. Other witnesses, who live closer to the house, say they only heard a male screaming.
3. 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.
4. 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 prosecution, meanwhile, has made five key arguments:
1. Neighbours heard loud fighting and screams before Pistorius fired the shots that killed Steenkamp in the early hours of February 14.
2. Pistorius’ claim that he got out of bed to confront an intruder without first making sure his girlfriend was next to him is improbable.
3. The position of Steenkamp’s body suggested she was talking to Pistorius behind the closed door when the shots were fired.
4. A pathologist report showed Steenkamp had eaten at about 1am, contradicting Pistorius’ claim that the couple went to bed early.
5. Steenkamp was fully dressed when she was killed. Other clothing items were folded in her overnight bag, suggesting she was planning to leave after the fight.
