The 7 points that will decide Oscar’s fate

Sky News shows images of Oscar Pistorius firing the pistol he used when he shot his girlfriend, taken months before the killing. Courtesy SKY UK.

THESE are the key legal points Judge Thokozile Masipa is considering in her verdict on the Oscar Pistorius murder case, which has captured the world's attention.

*OSCAR AND REEVA'S LAST MEAL

During the murder trial, Oscar Pistorius told the court he and Reeva Steenkamp ate their final meal together at his Silverwoods Country Estate in Pretoria. She cooked chicken strips and a vegetable stir-fry. They ate at 7pm and went to bed around 10pm. But Professor Gert Saayman who conducted the post mortem on Reeva, found vegetable matter in her stomach which strongly indicated she ate much later — within two hours of her death. The prosecution argued she was unlikely to have gone downstairs and eaten in the middle of the night, as she would have needed to unlock the bedroom door, and turn off the downstairs alarm.

The defence argued that it was too difficult to predict who ate when, even though the prosecution claimed Reeva was probably awake and eating at the time witnesses heard them arguing and screaming before she was killed.

Oscar Pistorius at his trial in Pretoria, South Africa. Picture: AP Source: AP

*LOVER'S SCREAMS OR CRYING

A neighbour, Estelle Van Der Merwe, testified she was woken up at 1.56am by a woman's voice. She heard arguing and said she tried to block out the noise because she had to be up early the next morning. She heard people "talking in loud voices" and then heard four gunshots at around 3am. After this, Estelle said there was "total silence" followed by a "commotion" and "someone crying out loudly." "I asked my husband who was crying like that and he said it was Oscar," she said. "To me, it sounded like a woman's voice." However, Pistorius defence counsel Barry Roux says that Pistorius screams like a woman when he is distressed.

As a couple ... Reeva Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius. Picture: AP Source: AP

*A ROCKY RELATIONSHIP

WhatsApp phone messages between Oscar and Reeva unveiled their dating life was far from perfect. While they called each other "baby" and "baba", and Reeva left him with a Valentine's Day message which said "'I think today is a good day to tell you that I love you'", they had their problems. In one message, Reeva stated: "I am scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you will react to me." She said she was also fearful of his "tantrums".

Oscar was also jealous of the attention she gave other men, despite what the defence stated.

Heartbreak ... June Steenkamp, right, mother of the late Reeva Steenkamp, and family friend, Jenny Strydom, left, in court. Picture: AP Source: AP

*FOUR GUNSHOTS, THEN A CRICKET BAT

Another neighbour Michelle Berger, described the gunshots she heard as "Bang. Bang-bang-bang" after 3am. The timing of the gunshots is crucial, as it could prove that Oscar had intent to shoot Reeva and kill her. There were two sets of loud noises heard coming from his house. One was gunshots, the other was the sound of a cricket bat as he hit the door with it. Sound recordings were played in court by the defence team to show that the noises were similar and could easily be confused. The noises are relevant because neighbours heard screaming before the loud noises. This would prove the prosecution's case that there was an argument before Pistorius shot at the toilet door, knowing Reeva was locked inside.

The balcony ... connected to Oscar Pistorius's bedroom in the house. Picture: Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Waldo Swiegers Source: Supplied

*THE LOCKED TOILET DOOR

When Oscar fired four gunshots at the toilet door, it was locked and the key was on the inside. When forensic police investigated the crime scene, they also discovered Reeva's mobile phone there with her. Prosecutors argued during the trial that the former model had "fled to the toilet with her cellphone" during an argument with Oscar before he opened fire. The question still remains if Oscar really knew that Reeva was behind the door.

Crime scene ... inside the bathroom where the Paralympian athlete Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Picture: Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Waldo Swiegers Source: Supplied

*REEVA'S MOVEMENTS IN OSCAR'S BEDROOM

At first, Oscar said he and Reeva went to bed together and as started falling asleep while lying on Reeva, he asked her to bring the fans in from the balcony before she went to sleep.

He said he woke up at 3am and the fans were still running and the door was open. He got up to bring them in and close the doors and draw the curtains. Oscar said Reeva asked him: "Can't you sleep my baba?" Oscar replied: "Not tonight".

While up, Oscar said he also draped a pair of Reeva's jeans over an LED on the amplifier to cover the light.

When he then heard a noise, which he thought was an intruder in the bathroom, Oscar whispered to Reeva beside him to call the police. She did not respond. The fact that Oscar was screaming, telling the alleged intruder in the bathroom to get out of his house, does not add up with his account of where Reeva was at the time.

Where was she? ... Reeva Steenkamp was not in Oscar's bed when he thought she was. Picture: AP Source: AP

*MOVEMENT OF EVIDENCE IN OSCAR'S ROOM

Oscar claimed crucial pieces of evidence in the bedroom, bathroom and toilet cubicle were moved by police officers including the fans by the balcony door, the duvet, and a magazine rack.

Defence barrister Barry Roux says that images taken at the scene show that evidence was moved around, contrary to procedure.

The pictures were taken by warrant officer Bennie van Staden and Mr Roux says they show that there was chaos at the scene. Mr van Staden said he did not know who moved items.

However, prosecutor Gerrie Nel told Pistorius during his evidence that he was making his evidence up as he went along.

THE TRAGIC LIFE OF REEVA STEENKAMP

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

The 7 points that will decide Oscar’s fate

Dengan url

http://segarasa.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-7-points-that-will-decide-oscaras.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

The 7 points that will decide Oscar’s fate

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

The 7 points that will decide Oscar’s fate

sebagai sumbernya