Barry Roux dismisses state’s “baker’s dozen”

“My lady, if that’s a baker’s dozen then I don’t want to eat those cookies,” Barry Roux SC, said to soft giggles from the public gallery.

On Thursday, prosecutor Gerrie Nel listed 13 “instances” that showed Pistorius had “incongruities and deceit” and was tailoring his version and called it the proverbial “baker’s dozen”.

These included Pistorius not remembering where certain items were in the bathroom and telling the court he did not remember certain aspects, only to later concede that he forgot or that his memory was not good.

Pistorius is charged with murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year.

He shot her through the locked door of his toilet at his Pretoria home.

Pistorius has denied guilt, saying he thought she was an intruder about to open the door and attack him. The State contends he shot her during an argument and it was premeditated.

Pistorius is also charged with three contraventions of the Firearms Control Act, one of illegal possession of ammunition and two of discharging a firearm in public. He has also pleaded not guilty to these charges.

Roux said Pistorius’s actions after Steenkamp was shot were not consistent with a man who was trying to kill his girlfriend.

“Why would he want her to be saved so she can turn around and say this man should be locked up — look what he did to me,” Roux said.

“It’s absolutely inconsistent with a man trying to kill his girlfriend.”

During the trial the court heard that Pistorius carried Steenkamp down the stairs after he broke down the toilet door. He called neighbours, a hospital and paramedics to help.

The court heard that he wanted to take her to hospital and begged God to save Steenkamp.

Roux said Pistorius admitted that he could remember everything up to the shooting. Roux said he understood because it was traumatic.

– Sapa