Pretoria: Oscar Pistorius' composure cracked repeatedly as his murder trial resumed on Monday. The athlete broke down twice as he was accused of knowing exactly who he was firing at in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year – his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel repeatedly accused Pistorius of inventing new details in order to fit the evidence as it was presented.
Pistorius told the court last week that he grabbed his gun and said softly to his girlfriend, who he believed was in his bed metres away, “Stay down and call the police.”
However, moments later, on his version, as he went up the passage way towards the bathroom, he was yelling to her to call the police.
Pistorius said he wanted to “chase” the intruders from his home.
Asked what he was shouting to the so-called intruders, Pistorius became emotional, tearfully telling the court he was yelling, “Get the f--- out of my house.”
The court adjourned as the Olympian lost his composure, sobbing in the dock.
When the court resumed, Mr Nel asked him: “Why did you get emotional? Isn't it exactly because that's what you shouted at Reeva: 'Get the f--- out of my house'? That's what you said, that's why you got emotional, isn't it?”
“No, my lady,” Pistorius replied, facing Judge Thokozile Masipa.
“I don't understand why you would get emotional then, when you shouted it,” Mr Nel said.
“My lady, I'm traumatised by the event . . . remembering the words that I felt on the night,” Pistorius said.
Mr Nel also said he could not understand why Pistorius would go so quickly from speaking in a soft voice to Ms Steenkamp to call the police and then yelling at her to do the same as he made his way towards the bathroom, armed with a pistol.
Mr Nel: “You said you didn't scream before because you thought it would cause Reeva to be in danger . . . but it doesn't make sense. How can you be less scared walking down a passage than hiding behind a wall?”
Pistorius: “I wasn't less scared I was terrified . . . I didn't have a choice.”
Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to Ms Steenkamp's murder. The state alleges he shot her as she cowered in a toilet afraid of him.
