Days 34 – 37 in the North Gauteng High Court

Day 34

Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial for the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp behind a closed door resumes after he underwent observation at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria. State prosecutor Gerrie Nel says that the report from the evaluation panel has found that Pistorius did not suffer from defects which “affected his ability to distinguish between the rightful or wrongful nature of his deeds”.

Dr Gerry Versfeld, who amputated Pistorius’s legs below the knee, takes the stand. The surgeon tells the court that the Paralympian has limited mobility on his stumps and needs visual cues to maintain his balance.

Next, acoustics engineer Ivan Lin testifies about sound audibility and intelligibility.

Day 35

Lin continues giving testimony. He says that the interpretation of sound is subjective. Two people hearing the same sound could interpret it differently. The court will have to determine whether a person can discern emotion in a scream.

Next is Pistorius’s manager, Petrus van Zyl, who testifies that he saw the relationship between Pistorius and Steenkamp as a loving and caring one.

Day 36

Van Zyl is still on the stand. During his evidence-in-chief he testifies that Pistorius drove at high speeds to avoid being hijacked and was jumpy around loud bangs.

Pistorius’s sports physician, Professor Wayne Derman, then takes the stand. He says Pistorius had hand tremors, was an “anxious” individual, and was troubled by a sleep disorder for which Derman had medicated him.

Derman also recalls how Pistorius would cover his head and ears with his hands and “cower” during fireworks displays.

Day 37

Nel challenges Derman’s objectivity and expertise, and gains an admission that Derman has never testified in court before as an expert.

Nel questions Derman in detail about the human body’s physiological response to a threat. He tries to get the professor to explain how long a person takes to go into freeze, flight or fight response mode after the initial “startle” or noise.

Court adjourns to today, when Nel asks Judge Thokozile Masipa for time to consult with state psychiatrist Dr Carla Kotze of Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital.