Oscar tells of moment of arrest
Oscar Pistorius was told he was being arrested because he was the only person in the house where his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Wednesday.
Advocate Barry Roux is seen at the high court in Pretoria during the Oscar Pistorius murder trial, Monday, 7 April 2014. Picture: Deaan Vivier/Media24/Pool
Guided by his lawyer Barry Roux SC, he said he called the estate manager and Netcare911 to ask for help after realising he had shot Steenkamp.
He had fired four shots through his bathroom door, believing there was an intruder in his house.
The place filled up with people after the shooting.
“Every time I looked up there were more people in the house. There were more policemen, there were more people going up and down the stairs,” he said.
He retreated to the pantry of the house in Pretoria.
He had asked if he could wash his hands because the smell of Steenkamp’s blood was making him cry.
“I don’t rememeber washing my chest. I just remember washing my hands and washing my face.”
Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, later removed from the case, had checked upstairs after his arrival and a Colonel Van Rensburg had joined him in the kitchen.
He stayed in the kitchen “because every time I saw Reeva, I got sick”, he said.
Steenkamp was struck three times by the Black Talon expanding bullets he fired through the toilet door.
He was taken to the garage for photographs and remained there for “several hours”.
A policeman called Labuschagne arrived, said he had been sent by a family friend and told him not to worry about anything.
Later he was told that because there was nobody else in the house he was going to be arrested.
He was warned by Labuschagne that there would be media at the gate and to put his head down.
He was taken to Mamelodi Academic Hospital for tests.
Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder.
– Sapa
