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Oscar Pistorius trial

999 replies

JillJ72 · 11/03/2014 19:10

Starting a new thread as as was pointed out on the other thread, it is not an appropriate place to "talk" and continue to "promote" a really poor excuse for a "joke".

Yesterday's post-mortem evidence was awful; if ever there's a way to get across just how unglamorous guns are, post-mortem evidence is a painfully honest way of doing so.

I listened to the trial live today. My main impression? That Darren Fresco consulted with legal experts to ensure his affidavit did not incriminate him, yet left room for questions that weren't explicitly answered. If he'd paid for that input from legal experts, they didn't sew it up nicely and tightly. I got the impression he was a bit of an unwilling witness really, and had problems remembering some things, yet was very insistent on others. Some good journo feeds on twitter that give different flavours and interpretations.

I'll be honest. I hope this was as OP said, an appalling mistake. But equally so many questions, the constant "whys". And so I am sitting on the fence, listening to argument and counter-argument, and waiting for the judge's final decision.

Never have been in a court of law before, are proceedings usually this long, slow, going round in circles, playing cat and mouse?

OP posts:
AmIthatWintry · 05/04/2014 15:31

Un hiding the thread in time for Monday - and getting back onto the TIO list

JillJ72 · 05/04/2014 17:24

I've read that Jan Botha make take the stand first. I wonder how everyone will be after this protracted gap. Must compound the agony for the Steenkamps.

OP posts:
JillJ72 · 05/04/2014 17:24

I've read that Jan Botha make take the stand first. I wonder how everyone will be after this protracted gap. Must compound the agony for the Steenkamps.

OP posts:
JillJ72 · 05/04/2014 17:25

Sorry for the duplicate post.

OP posts:
RonaldMcDonald · 05/04/2014 17:47

Have there been any answers re why he didn't simply hit the panic alarm and retreat to safety?
He had a gun and would have had armed security there in a few moments
It was an incredibly safe estate and well policed/armed estate

If the security lights around his property had been triggered? To give credence to his intruder theory would that not have made everything a great deal lighter in the house.

Why did he immediately think that Ms Steenkamp was in the toilet? Why didn't he think she was downstairs keeping safe?

AmIthatWintry · 05/04/2014 18:07

Jeez. Maybe I'll hide the thread again until Monday morning. Hmm

RedBlanket · 05/04/2014 18:13

Ronaldmcdonald - OP hasn't given any evidence yet so there are no answers to most your questions. He'll be taking he stand sometime this week.

intruder lights? There was no intruder, so no lights.

AmIthatWintry · 05/04/2014 18:32

Jill I read up on Jan Botha and he has a history with Gerrie Nel. He used to be a provincial state pathologist (if I've got the terminology right) and they have come up against each other in high profile cases.

Should make for an interesting exchange

JillJ72 · 05/04/2014 20:25

I just don't understand why the prosecution didn't really go for it - it's like they went so far but didn't commit... Or maybe they aren't going to show their hand properly until this next run. The text messages in their own right told a sad and sorry tale, but as a novice to following a court case, I would've expected them to really pin him down so that the defence would have a lot of backtracking to do... I just hope the truth of the events is determined.

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StampyIsMyBoyfriend · 05/04/2014 20:35

Agree, I'm waiting for the 'killer' disclosure. Perhaps next week. ..

Aventurine · 05/04/2014 20:37

What was wrong with RonaldMcDonald's post?

AmIthatWintry · 05/04/2014 20:44

Jill. It's been an eye opener actually watching and hearing how things pan out in court. I felt a wee bit of an anti climax when the state finished. Maybe all will be revealed in the coming weeks. I believe that they do all the scene setting with the witnesses, then let rip in their closing arguments.

But equally, maybe they haven't been able to really pin him down because the evidence is circumstantial and I don't feel they have proved anything beyond reasonable doubt.

I have been going back over some of the testimony on YouTube and I remain unconvinced of anything at the moment.

And I am probably muttering "I put it to you " and "as it pleases the court, m'lady" in my sleep Smile

StampyIsMyBoyfriend · 05/04/2014 20:48

From a really shallow pov...

I love love love the SA accent... which has made me watch even more. "My lady" Blush

AmIthatWintry · 05/04/2014 20:57

Stampy. I'm shallow too Smile.

The best voice was Captain Moller, the phone expert.

He started every sentence with what sounded like an exasperated sigh.

JillJ72 · 05/04/2014 21:04

Me too...... I haven't been able to listen to much though. I do like reading Andrew Harding on Twitter when their favourite translator is called to assist. Must be quite nerve wracking.

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Animation · 05/04/2014 21:35

There was nothing wrong with Ronald's post.

Aventurine · 05/04/2014 22:17

Agreed. I was just wondering why it had annoyed AmIthat so much.

RonaldMcDonald · 06/04/2014 00:28

I must have tripped up on some mumsnet etiquette I was unaware of...

I meant as Pistorius felt sure that an intruder had crossed into his garden, put a ladder against his wall, climbed it and climbed into his bathroom before locking himself into the toilet
I wondered why the security lights all around the property hadn't been triggered during this event?

GoshAnneGorilla · 06/04/2014 01:28

Slightly more shallowness:

Top 10 Barry Roux parodies: www.thesouthafrican.com/featured/the-top-10-barry-roux-parodies.htm

I read somewhere that the pathologist is speaking first due to his "personal circumstance", otherwise it would have been OP.

I imagine there are lots of journalists resting their fingers ready for all the live tweeting they'll be doing.

This article has a very good breakdown of the various definitions of "intent" in SA law

sports.yahoo.com/news/oscar-pistorius-trial--the-invisible-witness-141058347.html

voiceofgodot · 07/04/2014 10:24

I have not contributed to this thread yet but have been following the case.

Just tuned in to the live coverage and am already thinking OMG re. Nel being a fearsome interrogator. His cross examination of the defence witnesses is going to be interesting...

HowAboutNo · 07/04/2014 10:46

Nel is on fire today. What a transformation

BMW6 · 07/04/2014 12:41

Pistorious has taken the stand and started by trying to apologise to Reeva's family.

He sounds like a broken man. Can't see him being able to endure the prosecution's questions.

voiceofgodot · 07/04/2014 12:55

I agree. I think any robust cross examination will leave him in tatters and start to feel like cruelty. It may be the defence's intention for that to be the case, but still.

BeCool · 07/04/2014 13:45

I will have to listen tonight once the DC are in bed

alifemoreordinary · 07/04/2014 13:49

Well rather surprised to find myself welling up listening to Pistorius in the last few minutes of his testimony there. Probably exactly what Roux had in mind but it sounded genuine. Agree he is a broken man. Maybe it was just me, but he could well solicit the sympathies of the court yet.

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