‘I try not to lie’ – Oscar
Oscar Pistorius told the High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday that he was a Christian and that he tried not to lie.
FILE PICTURE: State prosecutor Gerrie Nel speaks during the Oscar Pistorius murder trial at the high court in Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday, 19 March 2014. Pistorius is charged with murder for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentines Day in 2013. Picture: Themba Hadebe/Pool
“I try not to lie,” Pistorius said under cross-examination from prosecutor Gerrie Nel.
Nel asked: “Do you live strictly on Christian principles?”
Pistorius replied: “I try to… I’m a Christian… I don’t always think the things I do are right.
Nel was cross-examining Pistorius.
He asked the athlete what a “zombie stopper” was and if he had been in the presence of someone using the term.
Pistorius said he could not remember knowing the term or being in the presence of someone who used the term.
Nel then asked if he would be surprised if there was a video on a international news channel on which the term was used.
Pistorius said yes. Nel said he would show Pistorius the video.
However, Barry Roux, SC for Pistorius, objected and said it was an ambush.
Nel said the defence had presented lengthy character evidence and the State did not investigate character evidence.
Nel said Pistorius asked him to “please” show him the video.
“This witness indicated that he wanted to see the video,” Nel said.
Pistorius is on trial charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot through the locked toilet door of his Pretoria home on February 14 last year.
He says he mistook her for an intruder.
He has pleaded not guilty and in his plea statement denied he had argued with her shortly before the shooting.
He also faces two charges related to contravening the Firearms Control Act, to which he has denied guilt.
– Sapa
