Pity vs pain in Pistorius trial
Defence and prosecution go for jugular
OSCAR Pistorius on his stumps versus Reeva Steenkamp’s bullet-body. This week in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria the murder trial of Pistorius took a startling twist as both the defence and the prosecution went for the jugular during sentencing proceedings.
The defence pulled out all the stops and presented a “vulnerable” Pistorius so the world could see the man he was in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013, when he pulled the trigger and killed Reeva.
On the other hand, the prosecution said that it was also time for the world to see exactly what the impact of his actions were on his blonde model girlfriend.
In the middle of the emotional drama sat Judge Thokozile Masipa, who will deliberate on his sentence over the next few days. Pistorius will hear his fate on July 6.
On the one hand, the judge is confronted with the picture of Pistorius as a broken man. The disgraced athlete stood in front of her and the world on his stumps – a mere 1.3m tall.
As Pistorius stood there, with tears streaming down his face, his advocate, Barry Roux SC, reminded the judge that at 3am on Valentine’s Day in 2013 it was not an Olympic athlete that confronted a perceived threat in the bathroom, but a vulnerable, anxious double-amputee.
Pistorius cut a lone and tragic figure as he stood on his stumps in front of a packed courtroom, red-faced and weeping, while his advocate pleaded with the judge to have mercy on him when she sentenced him a second time.
As he stumbled on his stumps past the prosecution and made his way towards the defence side, loud gasps could be heard from the public gallery. A female fan broke out in loud sobs, while a member of the defence team handed a distraught-looking Pistorius tissues.
“He has become the face of gender violence, while all he wanted to do that morning was to defend himself and Reeva from what he perceived to be the danger of intruders,” Roux said.
Suggesting community service as a sentencing option, Roux said sending Oscar back to jail would serve no purpose other than retribution.
But State prosecutor Gerrie Nel, presenting his arguments seconds after Pistorius stumbled back to again put on his prostheses, was at pains to point out that Reeva would never be able to walk in the courtroom.
“The four shots tore through her body… We are still in the dark (as to) why he fired the shots.”
Instead of explaining to the court exactly what happened that night, Pistorius had opted rather to give an exclusive interview to British television station ITV, Nel said.
The interview will be aired next Friday.
Nel said a long stint in jail was the only punishment for the Blade Runner.
He said that, while Roux felt it was now time to see Oscar on his stumps, as he was that morning, it was in fact time for the world to see what he did to Reeva.
In taking the stand, an emotional Barry Steenkamp said he only saw one picture – in court – of Reeva’s wounds.
“I saw only one, but I can imagine what it was like. I want the world to see the wounds inflicted on her – the pain she must have gone through. I want this to stop others in future.”
Nel asked a reluctant judge to release the six pictures of Reeva’s bullet-ridden body into the public domain.
Judge Masipa, shortly before adjourning the proceedings, agreed to release certain pictures – six in total.
“She must have been in such pain and fear. I think about it all the time… I visualise that I can see it myself,” 73-year-old Steenkamp told the court.
Pistorius, while listening to this evidence, sat with his face in his hands, sobbing.
Steenkamp said he was not yet ready to face his daughter’s killer. While his wife, June, had forgiven Steenkamp, he was not yet ready, he said.
“I feel he has to pay for what he did. The time will come when I will want to talk to him, but the time is not now.”