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Oscar pistorius

999 replies

spiderbabymum · 14/02/2013 07:11

Heard the news this am

I'm just Devastated for him and his family and partners family

OP posts:
BeCool · 19/02/2013 21:52

Also even if Reeva was already in the loo when he woke up, would she do this in the pitch dark? Not turn hall light on?

OhToBeCleo · 19/02/2013 21:52

Btw...this isn't an excuse, just a possible explanation.

OhToBeCleo · 19/02/2013 21:55

beCool does everyone do things the same as everyone else? Some people turn a light on in the night to go for a wee and others don't. I don't (because there's a night light in the hall that casts enough light to see). Maybe there was a street light doing the same? It's hardly conclusive that she didn't turn the light on.

BeCool · 19/02/2013 21:56

thanks Maryz I didn't realise that was an edit.

"I heard a noise in the bathroom and realised that someone was in the bathroom." And still he didn't check for Reeva being in the bed when he went back there to get his gun? Even in a fearful panic you wouldn't have a quick feel to see if P was in bed? Or in the bathroom?

BeCool · 19/02/2013 21:58

OhToBeCleo I'm not saying anything is conclusive - how on earth could I?
Like everyone else I'm asking questions.

Maryz · 19/02/2013 21:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DreamsTurnToGoldDust · 19/02/2013 21:59

Thanks for answering OhTo, I really wasnt doubting what you were saying, just interested and I guess trying to get my head around how it must be to live like that. People accepting that as the norm, how frightening.

CFSKate · 19/02/2013 21:59

He had apparently previously mistaken his washing machine for an intruder.

runningforme · 19/02/2013 22:01

BeCool I am just going by his reported statement as printed on the guardian's website.....

"I heard a noise and realised that someone was in the bathroom. I felt a sense of terror rushing over me. There are no burglar bars across the bathroom window and I knew that contractors who worked at my house had left the ladders outside. Although I did not have my prosthetic legs on I have mobility on my stumps.

"I believed that someone had entered my house. I was too scared to switch a light on. I grabbed my 9mm pistol from underneath my bed. On my way to the bathroom I screamed words to the effect for him/them to get out of my house and for Reeva to phone the police. It was pitch dark in the bedroom and I thought Reeva was in bed."

He went on: "I noticed that the bathroom window was open. I realised that the intruder/s was/were in the toilet because the toilet door was closed and I did not see anyone in the bathroom. I heard movement inside the toilet. The toilet is inside the bathroom and has a separate door.

"It filled me with horror and fear of an intruder or intruders being inside the toilet. I thought he or they must have entered through the unprotected window. As I did not have my prosthetic legs on and felt extremely vulnerable, I knew I had to protect Reeva and myself.

"I believe that when the intruder/s came out of the toilet we would be in grave danger. I felt trapped as my bedroom door was locked and I have limited mobility on my stumps.

"I fired shots at the toilet door and shouted to Reeva to phone the police. She did not respond and I moved backwards out of the bathroom, keeping my eyes on the bathroom entrance. Everything was pitch dark in the bedroom and I was still too scared to switch on a light. Reeva was not responding.

"When I reached the bed, I realised Reeva was not in the bed....."

If this is an accurate report of his statment, then I stand by what I said.

DreamsTurnToGoldDust · 19/02/2013 22:02

I can see how it is plausable, but I just cant get my head around shooting through a closed door.

Mumsyblouse · 19/02/2013 22:03

If I came back into a bedroom, hearing noises in my ensuite, my first thought would be that it was my partner, going to the toilet, as is surely usual at night. Why on earth would you think your partner wasn't going to the toilet, even if they had been in the bed previously, this is normal behaviour not some weird thing. I also feel less than convinced by the 'instinct' thing, given he had been out, got a fan in and so had definitely woken up. Finally, surely your first thought, if you are in a room with your loved one and you think there is an intruder, you would ascertain if they were ok, whisper, 'can you hear that' or 'are you ok?' before going to confront them. I just don't think anyone would fail to protect their loved one or check they were ok first, or even wonder how you were going to push them out of the way/check they were out of the line of fire, or shout a warning to them if you genuinely thought there was a gunman in the house.

It all stinks to me, sorry.

hellsbells76 · 19/02/2013 22:07

He keeps saying he was too scared to turn on a light, even after he'd fired the shots. That doesn't make sense to me either.

OhToBeCleo · 19/02/2013 22:11

I think the main point to consider (when analysing his reactions) is context. It's impossible to judge how he reacted by how we (in a relatively safe country) would react in a similar circumstance. And that's not even taking into consideration the lack of legs.

BeCool · 19/02/2013 22:12

OK this quote is from his full statement "It was pitch dark in the bedroom and I thought Reeva was in bed."

So in the pitch dark he got up, went to get fan from balcony, sorted curtains & blinds, closed door AND Reeva got up to use loo, made her way out of the bedroom and down the hall to the loo without saying anything to him. It is so pitch dark he couldn't see if she was in bed or not, but he found his gun OK.

That's a lot of action in the pitch dark.

he goes on to say after the shooting:

"Everything was pitch dark in the bedroom and I was still too scared to switch on a light. Reeva was not responding. When I reached the bed, I realised that Reeva was not in bed"

So he could see she wasn't in the bed when he returned to the bedroom after shooting, (without turning the light on), but he couldn't see she wasn't in the bed when he went to get the gun, or possibly when he woke up.

It could be a case of the truth being stranger than fiction, or it could be bullshit. We need the forensics.

MechanicalTheatre · 19/02/2013 22:13

I can't get my head round shooting through a bathroom door to kill an intruder OR a partner.

Either scenario just seems bizarre.

BeCool · 19/02/2013 22:13

yeah sorry Running I didn't realise the quote upthread was an edit (damn iPhone Smile) . I've called in the laptop now

GuffSmuggler · 19/02/2013 22:14

This whole 'it was too dark to see she wasn't in the bed" defence seems such nonsense to me if he had enough light to faff about with balcony doors and then find his gun. I have never been in a room, even with black out curtains, that is so dark at night you can't see if a person is in bed.

IF it really was that dark as others have said, you'd have a quick feel on their side of the bed whilst retrieving your gun under it.

BeCool · 19/02/2013 22:24

hellsbells I thought that too, but then it occurred to me maybe he thought the 'intruder' wasn't alone, which if what he is saying is true, would be plausible.

I can also accept that he was very fearful as intruders/robberies etc in SA are commonplace (as many here have reported) and often are very violent attacks. We can't necessarily fathom that here, but need to accept that life is different in SA to UK.

What I'm having trouble with is all the action in pitch dark, not seeing her out of the bed when he went to get the gun, and then realising she wasn't in bed after the shooting - all in the 'pitch dark' with no light on.

I also think that if it was that dark questions need to be asked why Reeva didn't use lights when she went to the loo - bedside light, hall light, bathroom light all must have been possibilities. If she knew he was up and on balcony then she might have used the bedroom light too. It seems none of these were on - if they were he would have known for sure she was up. Yet it was 'pitch dark' and two people, a resident and a guest, are moving around the house doing stuff.

HazelnutinCaramel · 19/02/2013 22:30

To change the topic a bit, what do you think about his sobbing in court?

Obviously if his version is the true one, its understandable. But if he did deliberately murder her.... is he faking it? Genuinely remorseful after the act? Feeling sorry for himself?

Just wondering what people make of it in relation to whether they think he's guilty or not.

MerryMarigold · 19/02/2013 22:33

I think he's truly sorry, whether he did it accidentally or on purpose. I have done many things in anger which I have felt sorry about almost immediately afterwards when the adrenaline has gone. He's probably also very scared at the consequences.

Mumsyblouse · 19/02/2013 22:33

I think it is possible to glance at a bed and make a mistake about whether a person is in it, if the duvet is bunched up and from a certain angle. This is not what he claimed, but I'm sure I've thought my husband was in bed when he wasn't.

I am more mystified by why he didn't check with her first to establish where she was (given partner going to the toilet is a usual activity), why he didn't realise it was her in the bathroom til his sudden thought (how come she made no noise when shot or dying?) and why, if it was truly accidental, he phoned his dad and best friend before the ambulance when her life was ebbing away, that must have taken several minutes.

MerryMarigold · 19/02/2013 22:34

I don't think premeditated murder means he was planning it for weeks!

onlymeee · 19/02/2013 22:39

why, if it was truly accidental, he phoned his dad and best friend before the ambulance

How do we know this? Hmm

applepieinthesky · 19/02/2013 22:39

I want him to be telling the truth. I guess because a tragic accident is somehow slightly easier to take than the idea that he is some kind of deranged lunatic who was battering his girlfriend. However, I have so many doubts about his version of events. So much of it doesn't make sense. I think he probably did it deliberately in the heat of the moment and regretted it instantly.

Maryz · 19/02/2013 22:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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