Oscar Trial: Prosecutor Gerrie Nel challenges tampering claims
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel challenged paralympian Oscar Pistorius's claim that the scene of Reeva Steenkamp's killing was tampered with, during his murder trial in the High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday.
State prosecutor Gerrie Nel cross-examines paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius during his murder trial at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday, 9 April 2014. Pistorius sobbed in the witness stand on Tuesday as he described how, gripped by fear, he shot dead his girlfriend through a locked toilet door thinking she was an intruder. Picture: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters/Pool
Pistorius said experts would be called to prove his case that police officers tampered with his house when they arrived on the morning of February 14 last year.
Hours before he had shot and killed Steenkamp through the locked door of his toilet, apparently thinking she was an intruder. He is on trial for her murder.
Nel: “Who will testify about tampering on the scene?”
Pistorius: “There will be specialists.”
Nel: “Who?”
Pistorius: “I don’t know.”
Nel: “Are you telling me that you haven’t consulted with these people, that you don’t know who they are?”
Pistorius launched into a long explanation about objects like TV remotes having been moved around, which he and his lawyers had noticed in police photos of his house.
Nel responded: “After that long argument do you still remember what I asked you? You are not listening.”
Pistorius was then shown a photo of his bedroom taken by police after the shooting. It shows the right side of his bed and a fan on a tripod.
“Was anything tampered with?” asked Nel.
Pistorius replied: “I didn’t see this room with the lights on that morning, so I wouldn’t know what was tampered with.”
Shown a close-up of an area of the photo, Pistorius however changed tack. He said he remembered a grey vest crumpled on the floor lying on the other side of the fan’s extension cord.
Nel said: “That’s brilliant Mr Pistorius, you really know this album and times by heart.”
The athlete is also charged with contravening the Firearms Control Act. He allegedly fired a shot from a Glock pistol under a table at a Johannesburg restaurant in January 2013.
On September 30, 2012 he allegedly shot through the open sunroof of a car with his 9mm pistol while driving with friends in Modderfontein.
Pistorius has denied guilt on all the charges.
– Sapa
