Oscar begins telling of crucial hours

When he came home on February 13 last year, he and Steenkamp appeared to have had an evening like many other couples, the High Court in Pretoria heard.

Led by his lawyer Barry Roux, Pistorius said he found Steenkamp in the kitchen making supper. They chatted briefly and he went upstairs to take a bath.

They ate supper shortly after 7pm.

“After dinner we sat at the dining room table for a while. We chatted about my day and about the contract she was going to sign.”

They watched TV and he helped Steenkamp clear the table.

She asked him if he wanted anything to drink.

“I said yes. I can’t remember if it was coffee or tea.”

He went upstairs and she joined him a few minutes later.

“Around 8pm, I came to my room and opened the balcony doors.”

Pistorius is accused of the murder of Steenkamp in his Pretoria townhouse in the early hours of February 14 last year. He shot her through the locked door of his toilet, saying later he thought she was an intruder.

He is also charged with contravening the Firearms Control Act. He allegedly fired a shot from a Glock pistol under a table at a Johannesburg restaurant in January 2013.

On September 30, 2012 he allegedly shot through the open sunroof of a car with his 9mm pistol while driving with friends in Modderfontein.

Pistorius has also denied guilt on these two charges.

– Sapa