Pistorius vomits as trial hears of Reeva’s injuries
OSCAR Pistorius vomited i n the dock and retched repeatedly and loudly at his murder trial yesterday as he heard graphic details of the injuries sustained by Reeva Steenkamp, the girlfriend he shot.
Among the details the court heard included a head wound Steenkamp received, which was probably instantly fatal, according to the pathologist who performed her autopsy.
Ms Steenkamp was shot with bullets designed to expand on impact and cause maximum damage, Professor Gert Saayman testified after he identified the type of bullet from fragments in her skull.
Saayman’s testimony was not broadcast or reported live on Twitter by journalists because of its explicit content under an order from Judge Thokozile Masipa. However, journalists were allowed to report the testimony without directly quoting the witness’s words.
Pistorius hunched over on a bench and vomited when he heard the description of his late girlfriend’s wounds, prompting the judge to briefly halt the testimony to ask
‘Explicitly graphic’ evidence
chief defence lawyer Barry Roux to attend his client. The judge also asked whether Pistorius was able to understand the proceedings. Roux said Pistorius’s reaction was not going to change. A bucket was placed at his feet.
After court adjourned for the day, Pistorius sat for a few minutes with his hands over his ears and his body heaving and bent forward as his brother held a hand on his back.
Professor Saayman stood for much of his testimony, referring to photographs that were not shown to the gallery as he described bullet wounds on Ms Steenkamp’s body, one to the right side of the head, one to the right arm and one to the right hip area. He also described exit wounds caused by the bullets and other abrasions and discolouration of the skin, consistent with the impact of a bullet fired through a wooden object such as a door.
Professor Saayman said that each of the three main gunshot wounds Ms Steenkamp suffered could have been fatal in isolation. Her right arm was also broken and she had multiple skull fractures, both because of the effect of bullets, Mr Saayman said. There was another wound on one of Ms Steenkamp’s hands, he said. Mr Saayman also estimated that the last time Ms Steenkamp ate before she died wouldn’t have been more than two hours, judging by food contents in her stomach.
That appeared to contradict Pistorius’s version that the couple had eaten and were in bed by 10pm. Ms Steenkamp was shot after 3am.
Pistorius, the first amputee to run in the Olympics, is charged with premeditated murder of 29-year-old Ms Steenkamp bef or e dawn on February 14 last year. The 27-yearold says the killing was accidental because he thought his girlfriend was a dangerous intruder.
Earlier, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said Mr Saayman’s testimony should not be shown around the world due to its ‘explicitly graphic nature’. The judge then announced a ban on live audio and video broadcasting, and extended the order to social media.
Proceedings can be partly televised and the audio can be broadcast in its entirety under a judge’s pre-trial order. Under the order, witnesses can choose not to be televised.
Earlier, a security guard who said he spoke with Pistorius soon after the shooting was challenged by the defence about the sequences of the events that night.
The guard, Pieter Baba, had testified Friday that he called Pistorius and was told ‘everything is fine’ on the telephone. Baba said Pistorius then called him back moments later, didn’t speak, was crying and the second call then ended. Baba’s statement that he called Pistorius first could back the prosecution’s case that the killing was premeditated, and that Pistorius was trying, at least initially, to conceal what he had done. Roux yesterday said call records showed Pistorius called security first, but couldn’t speak because he was ‘indeed crying.
The trail continues.