Oscar Pistorius: «I Never Wanted To Shoot ANyone»
On the third day of Oscar Pistorius’s testimony in the trial for the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp he revealed new details about what happened on the night he shot her.
During intense questioning from Prosecutor Gerrie Nel, Oscar Pistorius said on Wednesday that he was a prisoner of fear and fired unintentionally.
«I didn’t have time to think about what I was doing», said the athlete.
The prosecution accuses him of having murdered his girlfriend, the model Reeva Steenkamp, after a fight. Pistorius says he shot thinking that an intruder was in the bathroom.
The day of Wednesday, the third day in which the athlete has declared about what happened the night of February 14, 2013, he faced for the first time the Prosecutor.
The Prosecutor also led the interrogation for details on the scene of the crime the night of the death of Steenkamp, where Pistorius fell into contradictions with previous statements.
«Oscar Pistorius admits a mistake in his original statement, but said that he was not there when it was written,» said Andrew Harding.
Prosecutor Nel began his interrogation forcing Pistorius to recognize the magnitude of what happened in February 2013.
The athlete said that he committed a «mistake» on the night he fired on Steenkamp.
The South African Paralympic champion had earlier said Steenkamp died in his arms until the ambulance arrived.
«I knew that they could not do anything for her,» he added.
He also said that he tried to help her breathe and stop the bleeding on her hip.
Two policemen arrived later, but Pistorius said that he could not speak. «I was sitting on the ground crying».
He told how he was asked to go to the garage of the house, where a police photographer was taking images.
Pistorius asked the photographer to take all necessary photos so he could change from his blood-stained clothes.
And then, he said, before taking him in a police car, they «told me that he was under arrest».
During testimony on Wednesday, a graphic image of the head of Steenkamp was showed for the first time in the Court, which distressed Pistorius, who refused to look at the photo, and the proceedings were momentarily suspended.
Pistorius denies intentionally killing his girlfriend on the night of February 14, 2013.
Prosecutors allege that he acted intentionally and that he killed her after a fight.
If he is found guilty, the 27-year-old athlete could face life in prison.
In accordance with the law of South Africa, the Court might also consider the charge of culpable homicide, which could receive a sentence of between six and 15 years in prison.
Pistorius also faces charges for illegally firing a weapon in public and illegal possession of weapons. He rejects them.
In South Africa there are no jury trials, so the decision on the case will fall on the judge and his two advisers.