Oscar pistorius

[spiderbabymum]

Heard the news this am

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

Ok so Netcare is SA's private emergency service?

It says that he called the complex manager and then Netcare one minute later?

I also wouldn't have thought physical phones were needed to confirm/disprove this.

I guess a lot will be hanging on the ballistics/forensics report of whether prosthetics were on or off when the gun was fired. So far t seems the defence are doing a good job of blowing apart the prosecutions case for pre meditation.

BeCool if what he is saying is true though he did fear that he was under threat. It doesn't seem to be uncommon in SA and I would imagine with prosthetics off and everyone in that country knowing his disability he would feel pretty vulnerable.

A gun would probably be his only defence in an armed robbery. Having read that intruders have dunked children in scalding water I have to admit I can see why he would have a weapon (and I am anti gun).

There is no doubt life in SA is very different from here.

Does he have a house in Italy or was that unproven too?

What's with the memory stick? That bit I don't get. Why were they (OP's brother and lawyer) so keen to secure the memory stick? And the phone. Why wasn't that handed over at the time? Is it something or nothing?

Possibly bail. If he is telling the truth (as he so asserts) he must take the judgment that is given when he goes to trial. He shot and killed another person.

What is the sentence if the judge believes his version of events at trial? As there is no doubt he killed RS surely there is a prison sentence even if it was an accident?

He spends time training in Italy but not clear if he owns property (see his Twitter photos)

According to the Guardian, there is no property in Italy.

It's important to keep reminding outselves that this is just a bail hearing. Investigations will still be ongoing and forensic evidence is yet to come.

The issue of phonecalls - surely he picked up the house phone pressed the number to get through to the security on the gates of his complex and they were the ones who called the ambulance and then the police. He would have needed to make them aware of the situation so that they could let the ambulance through the security gates.

His lawyer said there is no property in Italy.

Wiley "if what he is saying is true though he did fear that he was under threat."

That is my point exactly. Even in SA it's surely a stretch to claim to be under, or even to actually generate in yourself such actual fear for your personal safety from your girlfriend, who you know is with you, using the toilet in the ensuite bathroom.

If he was so frightened by the noise of his girlfriend taking a pee, to the extent that he armed himself and shot her repeatedly, killing her in this state of fear, he is surely then a very real danger to anyone around him, especially at night?

The Guardian feed is really interesting, I read it all in one go after it had finished and the "facts" change totally during the hearing.

The SA police and media aren't coming out of this well at all. We should be proud of the UK system I think even though it sometimes has its flaws.

The empty bladder is a telling point, if there was evidence of urine on Reeva's clothes, the floor or elsewhere the police would have brought this up today straight away to counter that immediatley.

I've learned a lot from reading the posts from MNErs who live or have lived in SA and I think we need to wary of assumptions based on our own experience if we haven't lived there.

I have no idea if OP intended to kill Reeva but the total lack of any reason to do so by anyone so far (unless I've missed it) makes me acknowledge the possibility that it could have been a dreadful accident.

Anyone with mobility problems would feel very vunerable in the circumstances he describes.

Well he certainly doesn't sound as he he is safe to keep firearms, does he?

Even if his fear was real and he is telling the truth, the fear was actually generated by someone getting up and going for a wee. Nothing more than that. It's terrifying.

I do think the charges will be reduced. The prosecution argued that OP could flee SA if faced with a 15 year sentence. IIRC from the other thread, 15 years is the minimum tariff for a schedule 5 offence (murder, attempted murder), not the 25 year minimum for the schedule 6 with which OP has been charged.

SA police have not shown themselves in the best light so far.

I have no idea if OP intended to kill Reeva but the total lack of any reason to do so by anyone so far (unless I've missed it)

It's been hinted that another man sent messages to Reeva which were read by OP and sparked off a jealous rage.

The locked toilet door and carrying Reeva downstairs sounded odd to me, but could be explained by OP defense. What puzzles me is the clothing. In a newish relationship and wearing clothing to bed? Wonder what OP was/wasn't wearing.

Wow - from the Guardian news feed his defence has shredded the prosecution. I feel he may get found not guilty looking at that

I just hope, if he does, that he wasn't

I really think speculating about what people wear in bed is getting ridiculous. Do you think all young couples are shagging like rabbits all night long? She was an almost 30 yr old woman. I wear clothes in bed - what of it? Maybe they didn't have sex that night? Why would that be strange? Maybe they did and she put her shorts and vest afterwards.

Pretty irrelevant.

But surely onlymeee the police would have bought that up already ... Instead the investigating officer said they cannot find any issues in the relationship.

They have looked like bungling incompetents today, presenting 'facts' which have been substantiated.
He has a house in Italy - no he doesn't
There were steroids in the house - they're not steroids
Arguing was heard from 600m away - really? Oh no it was more like 300
They haven't checked all the phones he has access to

Tbf they have has less than a week to collect evidence so you wouldn't expect them to have a pin sharp case at this point.

he did kill Reeva - fact.

If he's facing a minimum of 15 years SA jail time, then I guess I'd be fucking off to Venezuela or somewhere given half a chance to do so.

His life is changed for the worse forever, whatever happens.

Is that 15 years even if it's manslaughter?

Wow. I'm not surprised they think he's a flight risk I agree I'd be gone too.