Oscar Pistorius appears in court today to face judgment over the killing of his model girlfriend, ending a six-month trial that turned the amputee's private life into a global spectacle
Oscar Pistorius during the murder trial in a Pretoria court recently. Pic/AFP
Johannesburg: "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius appears in court today to face judgment over the killing of his model girlfriend, ending a six-month trial that turned the amputee's private life into a global spectacle.
Oscar Pistorius during the murder trial in a Pretoria court recently. Pic/AFP
The 27-year-old celebrity athlete faces life behind bars — and notoriety that would eclipse his athletic achievements — if found guilty of deliberately killing lover Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.
ADVERTISEMENT
Two-day procedure
Judge Thokozile Masipa's ruling, on charges of murder and three firearms offences, will likely be laid out in two days of careful legal argument and then a final verdict, perhaps on Friday.
The high-drama, half-year trial has fed intense media interest worldwide, with live broadcasts veering into the realm of TV reality shows.
Nearly 40 witnesses testified, including Pistorius, who broke down, weeping and at times vomiting as he heard how the 29-year-old blonde's head "exploded" like a watermelon under the impact of his hollow-point bullet.
'Egotistical liar'
Prosecutors described him as an 'egotistical liar obsessed with guns, fast cars and beautiful women, who was not prepared to take responsibility for his actions.' The court heard transcripts of phone messages in which the pair argued, Steenkamp texting: "I'm scared of you sometimes, of how you snap at me."
Defence lawyers sought to explain there are "two Oscars" — a world-class athlete and a highly vulnerable individual with a serious disability who acted out of fear, not anger, when he fired the fatal shots. All the while the sister and mother of the woman he killed looked on from the packed public gallery.
6
The number of gold medals Pistorius won at the Athens, Beijing and London Paralympic Games for South Africa
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
