COURT PROCEEDINGS
Desmond Nair (the magistrate), says there was the possibility that if Pistorius had been kept
in prison and his consultations with Roux had been blocked in any way,
it might have delayed the bail hearing.
He wanted to avoid this. Nair wishes to stress he meant to create no precedent in this regard
.
Nair then turns to Pistorius's statement, He runs briefly through Pistorius's side of the story: "that he did
not mean to kill Reeva Steenkamp, taking her for a burglar, and the
objective facts do not refute this. It was not premeditated murder, or
even murder at all, according to Pistorius's statement".
Pistorius's statement says his friends and family live in South
Africa, but confirms he has friends abroad, Nair says. He has no
previous convictions.
Nair runs through Pistorius's version of events.
According to Pistorius:
He and Steenkamp went to bed at 10pm. His legs were removed. Aware of violent crime, he slept with his pistol under his bed. He awoke in the early hours to bring a fan in from the balcony.
He heard a noise in the bathroom. He knew contractors had left ladders outside. He was overcome with terror and believed someone had entered his house. He was too scared to switch a light on.
He grabbed his pistol, screamed that the person should leave, and shouted to Steenkamp.
He went to the bathroom and heard someone in the toilet. He was vulnerable on his stumps and wanted to protect himself and Steenkamp. He fired shots at the closed door and again shouted to Steenkamp to call the police. When he reached the bed he realised she was not in bed and it dawned on him she may have been the person in the toilet.
Nair recalls that Pistorius said he would not contact any witnesses.
He said he was not disposed to violence, was not a flight risk, and would hand in all travel documents. He did not attempt to flee the scene. He would be able to raise bail.He undertakes not to interfere with the investigation and says his release will not undermine public order or the justice system.
Pistorius also said:
He screamed for help at the balcony. He switched on the lights, got a cricket bat, smashed the door, found a key, and found Steenkamp slumped over but alive. He asked someone to phone an ambulance and he called Netcare. He opened the door downstairs and then went back up to get Steenkamp.
The deceased died in his arms.
He believes she must have gone to the toilet while he was at the balcony.
He is mortified at having killed her. He believes the facts will show he did not mean to kill her.
According to Pistorius:
He and Steenkamp went to bed at 10pm. His legs were removed. Aware of violent crime, he slept with his pistol under his bed. He awoke in the early hours to bring a fan in from the balcony.
He heard a noise in the bathroom. He knew contractors had left ladders outside. He was overcome with terror and believed someone had entered his house. He was too scared to switch a light on.
He grabbed his pistol, screamed that the person should leave, and shouted to Steenkamp.
He went to the bathroom and heard someone in the toilet. He was vulnerable on his stumps and wanted to protect himself and Steenkamp. He fired shots at the closed door and again shouted to Steenkamp to call the police. When he reached the bed he realised she was not in bed and it dawned on him she may have been the person in the toilet.
Nair recalls that Pistorius said he would not contact any witnesses.
He said he was not disposed to violence, was not a flight risk, and would hand in all travel documents. He did not attempt to flee the scene. He would be able to raise bail.He undertakes not to interfere with the investigation and says his release will not undermine public order or the justice system.
He screamed for help at the balcony. He switched on the lights, got a cricket bat, smashed the door, found a key, and found Steenkamp slumped over but alive. He asked someone to phone an ambulance and he called Netcare. He opened the door downstairs and then went back up to get Steenkamp.
The deceased died in his arms.
He believes she must have gone to the toilet while he was at the balcony.
He is mortified at having killed her. He believes the facts will show he did not mean to kill her.
Nair runs through the statements by Pistorius's friends avowing he is a
kind and humble person and detailing how much Pistorius and Steenkamp
were in love.
Oscar Pistorius was sobbing and shaking as the magistrate repeated his friends' words about the couple being deeply in love.
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