The Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, who is facing a murder charge over the death of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, told the court today that he had shot her to death by mistake.
Pistorius told a packed courtroom that he believed his girlfriend was an intruder in the house.
The double amputee said in an affidavit read by his lawyer at his bail hearing that he felt vulnerable because he did not have on his prosthetic legs when he pumped bullets into the locked bathroom door.
According to the affidavit, Pistorius had risen from the bed that he had been sharing with Ms Steenkamp in the middle of the night and walked on to the balcony, at which point he heard noises coming from the bathroom.
"It filled me with horror and fear ," he said.
The court heard how he then returned to get his gun and began to fire through the bathroom door.
Then, Pistorius said in the sworn statement, he realized that model Reeva Steenkamp was not in his bed.
He told the court he put on his prosthetic legs, tried to kick down the door, then bashed it in with a cricket bat to find Steenkamp, 29, shot inside.
He said he ran downstairs with her, but "She died in my arms."
The 26-year-old Paralympian said he and Ms Steenkamp were very much in love. Character witness statements were also read out, corroborating this, with a friend of Ms Steenkamp telling how she had told her that Pistorius had treated her "like gold" and that she would marry him if he asked.
For the prosecution Gerrie Nel argued the killing in the early hours of Valentine's Day was premeditated because Pistorius had planned to say that he thought he was shooting an intruder.
"It was all part of the preplanning. Why would a burglar lock himself inside the bathroom?" Nel said.
The court also heard that Pistorius told his sister that he thought Ms Steenkamp was an intruder.
Pistorius's defence team must now show 'exceptional circumstances' if he is to be granted bail, a Pretoria magistrate said today after ruling that the Paralympic star will face a charge of premeditated murder.
Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled that, for the purpose of the bail hearing, the case was a schedule six offence - meaning premeditated murder - rather than the less serious schedule five.
Barry Roux, defending Pistorius, had earlier vigorously rejected claims that the athlete pre-planned her murder.
Roux said the shooting of Ms Steenkamp was "never ever" premeditated murder, and that there is no basis for the inference that Pistorius knew it was her behind the bathroom door.
Mr Roux said: "We submit it is not even murder. There is no concession this is a murder."
The defence had said that with the state's argument all murders would be pre-planned, according to The Independent's Africa correspondent Daniel Howden, who was inside the courtroom.
Mr Roux said he knew of many cases where men had accidentally shot members of their family through doors after mistaking them for burglars.
Mr Nel said the victim arrived at the house between 5pm and 6pm the night before she was killed at 3am. He said she was locked inside the small bathroom and was unarmed.
Sitting suited, with head bowed, Pistorius was watched on by his father, brother and sister on the front row.
Mr Nair adjourned the hearing until tomorrow morning as it looks to become a 'mini-trial' in its own right.
Pistorius had earlier arrived by car at Pretoria Magistrate's Court amid a media frenzy as around 200 journalists scrambled for only 26 places inside.
Howden had managed to secure himself a spot and tweet from inside Court C.
He tweeted: "Prosecution opposes bail says pistorius hasnt furnished any defence. Says 4 shots, 3 through a door in premeditated murder of #reevasteenkamp
"Prosecution: he armed himself walked 7m to toilet cubicle & shot her. Premeditation doesnt require a month of planning"
The prosecution also claimed that Ms Steenkamp's overnight bag was found in the bedroom.
The court appearance came on the same day Ms Steenkamp's funeral, a private service, after her body was returned to her home town of Port Elizabeth.
Her mother June has described her "horrendous" torment at her daughter's death.
Mrs Steenkamp told South African newspaper The Times: "She loved like no one else could love.
"She had so much of herself to give and now all of it is gone. Just like that, she is gone. In the blink of an eye and a single breath, the most beautiful person who ever lived is no longer here.
"All we have is this horrendous death to deal with ... to get to grips with. All we want are answers ... answers as to why this had to happen, why our beautiful daughter had to die like this."
The arrest of Pistorius triggered shock across the globe and prompted rumours that he might have mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder in what could have been a Valentine's Day surprise gone wrong.
But police swiftly distanced themselves from that suggestion and said there had been previous incidents of a "domestic nature" at Pistorius's house.
His family has vowed to fight the murder charge in the "strongest terms".
Pistorius told a packed courtroom that he believed his girlfriend was an intruder in the house.
The double amputee said in an affidavit read by his lawyer at his bail hearing that he felt vulnerable because he did not have on his prosthetic legs when he pumped bullets into the locked bathroom door.
According to the affidavit, Pistorius had risen from the bed that he had been sharing with Ms Steenkamp in the middle of the night and walked on to the balcony, at which point he heard noises coming from the bathroom.
"It filled me with horror and fear ," he said.
The court heard how he then returned to get his gun and began to fire through the bathroom door.
Then, Pistorius said in the sworn statement, he realized that model Reeva Steenkamp was not in his bed.
He told the court he put on his prosthetic legs, tried to kick down the door, then bashed it in with a cricket bat to find Steenkamp, 29, shot inside.
He said he ran downstairs with her, but "She died in my arms."
The 26-year-old Paralympian said he and Ms Steenkamp were very much in love. Character witness statements were also read out, corroborating this, with a friend of Ms Steenkamp telling how she had told her that Pistorius had treated her "like gold" and that she would marry him if he asked.
For the prosecution Gerrie Nel argued the killing in the early hours of Valentine's Day was premeditated because Pistorius had planned to say that he thought he was shooting an intruder.
"It was all part of the preplanning. Why would a burglar lock himself inside the bathroom?" Nel said.
The court also heard that Pistorius told his sister that he thought Ms Steenkamp was an intruder.
Pistorius's defence team must now show 'exceptional circumstances' if he is to be granted bail, a Pretoria magistrate said today after ruling that the Paralympic star will face a charge of premeditated murder.
Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled that, for the purpose of the bail hearing, the case was a schedule six offence - meaning premeditated murder - rather than the less serious schedule five.
Barry Roux, defending Pistorius, had earlier vigorously rejected claims that the athlete pre-planned her murder.
Roux said the shooting of Ms Steenkamp was "never ever" premeditated murder, and that there is no basis for the inference that Pistorius knew it was her behind the bathroom door.
Mr Roux said: "We submit it is not even murder. There is no concession this is a murder."
The defence had said that with the state's argument all murders would be pre-planned, according to The Independent's Africa correspondent Daniel Howden, who was inside the courtroom.
Mr Roux said he knew of many cases where men had accidentally shot members of their family through doors after mistaking them for burglars.
Mr Nel said the victim arrived at the house between 5pm and 6pm the night before she was killed at 3am. He said she was locked inside the small bathroom and was unarmed.
Sitting suited, with head bowed, Pistorius was watched on by his father, brother and sister on the front row.
Mr Nair adjourned the hearing until tomorrow morning as it looks to become a 'mini-trial' in its own right.
Pistorius had earlier arrived by car at Pretoria Magistrate's Court amid a media frenzy as around 200 journalists scrambled for only 26 places inside.
Howden had managed to secure himself a spot and tweet from inside Court C.
He tweeted: "Prosecution opposes bail says pistorius hasnt furnished any defence. Says 4 shots, 3 through a door in premeditated murder of #reevasteenkamp
"Prosecution: he armed himself walked 7m to toilet cubicle & shot her. Premeditation doesnt require a month of planning"
The prosecution also claimed that Ms Steenkamp's overnight bag was found in the bedroom.
The court appearance came on the same day Ms Steenkamp's funeral, a private service, after her body was returned to her home town of Port Elizabeth.
Her mother June has described her "horrendous" torment at her daughter's death.
Mrs Steenkamp told South African newspaper The Times: "She loved like no one else could love.
"She had so much of herself to give and now all of it is gone. Just like that, she is gone. In the blink of an eye and a single breath, the most beautiful person who ever lived is no longer here.
"All we have is this horrendous death to deal with ... to get to grips with. All we want are answers ... answers as to why this had to happen, why our beautiful daughter had to die like this."
The arrest of Pistorius triggered shock across the globe and prompted rumours that he might have mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder in what could have been a Valentine's Day surprise gone wrong.
But police swiftly distanced themselves from that suggestion and said there had been previous incidents of a "domestic nature" at Pistorius's house.
His family has vowed to fight the murder charge in the "strongest terms".
Source : Independent
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