Pistorius was on his stumps – Nel
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel rose to correct a statement by Oscar Pistorius's lawyer in the High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday.
FILE PICTURE: State prosecutor Gerrie Nel is seen during a break in proceedings at the murder trial of double amputee Paralympian Oscar Pistorius at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, 4 March 2014. Pistorius is accused of the murder of Reeva Steenkamp on Feb 14 2013. Photo: Antoine de Ras – Pool
“The State’s case is that he was on his prostheses,” Barry Roux, for Pistorius, said while questioning forensic investigator Lt-Col Johannes Vermeulen.
Nel promptly rose from his seat.
“It’s not my case…That was perhaps something that happened in the bail application,” said Nel.
They were discussing whether Pistorius was on his stumps when he struck the door of his toilet with a cricket bat.
Vermeulen said, during questioning by Roux, expert evidence would indicate that Pistorius was also on his stumps when he shot through the door of his toilet at Reeva Steenkamp.
Vermeulen is the commander of the material analysis sub-section at the forensic science laboratory.
He was testifying about a cricket bat Pistorius used to bash open the door of his toilet, and about the door itself, through which he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Vermeulen told the court he had more than 29 years of experience in scientific analysis and completed almost 1400 forensic investigations.
Pistorius is accused of the murder of model and law graduate Steenkamp on February 14 last year.
He is also charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, and two counts of discharging a firearm in public.
– Sapa
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