Oscar trial: tears in tea break

The defence opened its case and called forensic pathologist Prof Jan Botha.

Pistorius sat in the dock and covered his face with his hands and put his thumbs into his ears as Botha spoke about which bullet hit his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp where. A green bucket was placed on the floor next to the athlete.

During tea, Pistorius was joined in the dock by his older brother Carl and younger sister Aimee. The three were huddled in a group and the athlete broke down and cried. They embraced him and Aimee rubbed his back while other family members stood nearby. A short while later they left the courtroom.

Pistorius is on trial for the murder of Steenkamp, who was shot through the locked toilet door of his Pretoria home on February 14 last year. He said he had mistaken her for an intruder. However, the State’s case is that it was premeditated murder.

He has pleaded not guilty and in his plea statement denied he had argued with his girlfriend shortly before the shooting.

Pistorius also faces two charges related to contravening the Firearms Control Act.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel cross-examined Botha on the sequence of wounds Steenkamp sustained.

Her mother June Steenkamp bowed her head as images of her daughter’s wounds were shown on the TV screens in court.

Steenkamp’s friends and family present in court turned their heads away from the screen as the close-ups of wounds were shown.

– Sapa