Court adjourns for tearful Oscar
Murder-accused Oscar Pistorius cried in the High Court in Pretoria on Friday, saying he was going through a difficult time.
FILE PICTURE: Oscar Pistorius, L, becomes emotional as brother Carl Pistorius, R, hands over paper tissue during his trial at the high court in Pretoria, Monday, 7 April 2014. Pistorius is charged with murder for the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentines Day in 2013. Picture: Themba Hadebe/AP/Pool
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel was cross-examining the athlete on where items in his bedroom were the night he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a locked toilet door in his Pretoria house.
Pistorius said a fan in his bedroom was not where it was photographed on a picture shown in court. He said he did not remember bumping or kicking the fans on his way to the bathroom.
Pistorius became emotional after Nel said his explanation of what happened before the shooting did not make sense.
“Mr Pistorius, are you okay, are you emotional,” Nel asked.
Pistorius: “If I kicked the fan, it would be in my favour to say I did, but I can’t remember.”
Nel: “Why are you getting emotional?”
Pistorius: “It’s a difficult time for me.”
Nel: “But why would this question make you emotional?”
Pistorius: “This is a person I cared about. I don’t know how people don’t understand that.”
Nel asked for an adjournment because Pistorius was “clearly distressed” and needed time to compose himself.
Pistorius has been charged with murdering Steenkamp.
He shot her dead on February 14 last year. He says he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder.
Pistorius has pleaded not guilty and in his plea statement denied he had argued with her shortly before the shooting.
– Sapa
