After the first day of tearful apology towards the victim’s family, Star Para-Olympian Oscar Pistorius returned to the witness box at his murder trial today. He kept on insisting that he and Reeva Steenkamp had a loving relationship.
The gold medalist is accused of premeditated murder over Steenkamp’s murder in February 2013 but he claimed that he shot her through a locked toilet door believing she was an intruder.
Before the packed courtroom, Pistorius narrated how the couple met and gradually began to plan their future. “The first six days we knew each other we called each other every day,” he told as he remembered how he met the model at a track day car event. “We started really seeing a future with each other,” he told.
But, the things were not so rosy as on the other side. The exchanged text messages revealed that Reeva was scared of his behavior. Also, they fought terribly on an engagement party. “Those have been bad hours in our relationship,” Pistorius told describing their fight at the engagement party.
Pistorius’s initial evidence has focused on countering the prosecution’s portrayal of him as reckless and obsessed with cars and guns. On Monday, he had been apologetic towards to the Steenkamp family and almost choked in tears. He beforehand also told about his disturbed childhood and challenges of his disability.
He will be on the stand for this week extensively for there will be some grueling cross-examination. And, other than this murder accusation, he also has to testify for three other charges that include two of firing a gun in separate incidents and one for the possession of illegal ammunition found in his house.
Tags: Oscar Pistorius Reeva Steenkamp Reeva Steenkamp murder trial
