Oscar Pictorius testimony at his trial

He claimed he had been on the balcony of his house when he heard noises from the bathroom. Believing Reeva Steenkamp was asleep in bed, he grabbed his gun and shouted a warning before firing four shots through the door. It was only then, Pistorius claims that he realised Miss Steenkamp was not in bed.

'I kicked the door open,' he said  'I tried to help her but she died in my arms.'

 

I have been informed I have been accused of murder – I deny the accusation. Nothing can be further from the truth that I planned the murder of my girlfriend.

On 13 Feb Reeva would have gone out with her friends, me with mine. She wanted to stay at home. I was watching TV. My legs were off. She was doing yoga. At the end of the evening we got into bed.

I’m accutely aware of people gaining entries to homes to commit crime, I’ve received death threats. I sleep with my 9mm under my bed. I woke up to close the sliding door and heard a noise in the bathroom.

'I was scared and didn’t switch on the light. I got my gun and moved towards the bathroom. I screamed at the intruder because I did not have my legs on I felt vulnerable. I fired shots through the bathroom door and told Reeva to call police.

'I walked back to the bed and realised Reeva was not in bed. Its then it dawned on me it could be her in there.

'I kicked the door open. Called paramedics and complex security. I tried to carry her downstairs for help.I tried to help her but she died in my arms.

'With the benefit of hindsight I realise that Reeva went to the bathroom when I went to close the balcony door.'

'I make this affadavit of my own free will and have not been influenced. Contents is true and correct.

I am an international sports star, I will not evade my trial. After the shooting I did not flee the scene. I remained until the police arrived.

The Prosecutor says:

The applicant armed himself, attached his prosthesis, walked seven metres to the bathroom and shot the deceased while she was in the toilet. He shot four times...There's no possible explanation to support his report that he thought it was a burglar,' The prosecutor said. 'If I arm myself, walk a distance and murder a person, that is premeditated. 'The door is closed. There is no doubt. I walk seven metres and I kill. The motive is 'I want to kill'. That's it,' he added. 'This deceased was in a 1.4 by 1.14 metre little room. She could go nowhere.'