Oscar Pistorius Trial Part 5

[Roussette]

Time for a new thread - Part 4 nearly full

I started this thread and took a break due to work conferences etc etc and boy oh boy has this thread got busy! I have skim read every link and every post and I have picked up on a few things but I am nowhere near as knowledgeable as many of you so will wait until Court starts back.

What a huge burden of responsibility Judge Masipa has. Incidentally I read somewhere that she has two advocates (think that's the word) who have to agree with her decision and if they don't they can change the verdict. Let's just hope that - whatever the verdict - OP pays for his recklessness and sheer stupidity in what has ended up in an absolute tragedy. Someone upthread said we shouldn't think of RS as pretty, talented, advocate for women's rights etc as it's celeb worship. I just think of her as a brave couple's daughter and having daughters myself, it has just hit home.

YNK welcome - good to see you on here. Keep posting.

To my mind, OP's version of events has more holes in it than a string vest but I am working really hard at keeping a grip on my feelings on that and waiting for the defence witnesses next week.

I'm just watching the evidence given when OP was on the stand with Roux going through the whatsApp messages and at 6.07 on there's a message from Reeva which OP almost reads out in court but is told by Roux that they are not looking at texts she sent to others. It seems to say 'No more f***s' and was sent at the same time she was consoling OP about his financial meeting.

probably nothing but it seems strange. Presumably they have all the messages she sent to everyone but they are only looking at the ones between her and OP?

I always assumed Reeva had locked the door although I remember Nel made a point about OP not hearing the door lock even though it had a distinctive sound. Surely though no matter the circumstances (ie whether we believe the intruder story or that Reeva was trying to escape OP), Reeva would have locked the door?

I thought Nel's point was, if OP heard the window (and the magazine rack) why didn't he hear the lock and surely if he had heard the lock he would have known

a. it could be Reeva
b. the person in the toilet was locked in and so effectively trapped so no need to shoot them 4 times.

Also - to be fair about the 'he put his hands over his face' stuff mentioned earlier after the blog was posted. This comes from the cross examination by Nel

Nel: 'now, what happened then when you woke up'

OP 'I sat up in bed, I put my, put my head down, my hands in my head and I rubbed my face'

he didn't then walk about with his hands over his face.

I don't wish to go over the issue of did they/did they not argue again but in order to try and get my head around OP's state of mind I have been thinking how much he was conflicted between his resentment of her career and his need for her celebrity status in enhancing his own.

I believe his sponsors were already getting twitchy about him and his reckless association with guns He had already settled out of court on another incident of DV at his home when he jammed a womans leg in a door. It would have been very helpful for him to be in a relationship with a woman who campaigns against DV.

His management were pushing him to use his relationship with RS to get the sponsors beck on side and certainly he had more to gain than her in appearing as SA's golden couple. This may have come up again in the meeting that had upset him that day.

In contrast her managment were trying to prevent her from becoming identified too much with him. He had recently been helping her make some changes to her contract. I thought this was a bit strange, RS being a law graduate and OP being a high school drop out.

Is this what RS meant in her texts to him about her getting grief for being with him and him having a go at her?

And thanks Rousette, your encouragement means a lot!

YNK.

I was interested to read Roux has I think represented OP before, with the boating accident. I just wonder if - with that - he managed to get off the charge of drunk and negligent driving so he felt he was untouchable and could get off this crime too.

For the sake of accuracy, the settlement with the party goer was reached after Reeva's death. Incident 2009, settlement late 2013.
Unless there is another one?

I think Reeva was getting grief from ex girlfriends of OP, wasn't she, rather than her management?

I think she stood to gain more from the relationship than him. He was far more famous than her and she was hoping to move from modelling into other media work. Being known as his girlfriend would have helped enormously - look at how other sports men's wives and girlfriends have prospered.

We just don't know what the upsetting meeting was about. I really want to know!

Regarding the contract, he had probably had many more contracts than her, despite her law degree. Also, wasn't he doing some uni courses?

I am not defending him. I think he is as guilty as sin.

You are right Nerf, but nonetheless, having a DV campaigner in his corner would have been good for OP's financial position.
It would also have been good for RS financially if she distanced herself from him, at least publicly..
Could this be what he meant when he called her a 'ho'?

link to the text message RS sent to OP regarding the hate texts she was receiving.
www.nbcnews.com/storyline/pistorius-trial/reeva-steenkamp-texts-sick-people-want-fill-her-head-doubts-n64036

I do not have time to look for the actual testimony but OP read a text where RS had gotten 1 of the accounts diisabled and had 3 more to go,

"At the time Reeva asked (Darren) Fresco to help her because she thought it was Sam that had been attacking her on Twitter setting up fake accounts and attacking her," he said.

Hmmm, hillwalker, I'm going to have a think about it. I can't remember what's made me think that. It might have been something I read on DS.
I sound like OP now.... "I cannot remember, my lady!"

No idea on what grounds you are making those assertions YNK about her needing to distance herself and him needing her. But I shall stick to your earlier request to ignore your posts. Am happy for you to do the same.

Text message regarding the ho comment, OP did not call RS a Ho.

OP to RS: I know. It was just when you got back from tropica you made it sound like you had only smoked weed once and then last night that came out. I don't know how many times you took or if you took other things or what you did when you were on them

RS to OP: I'm sorry if it upset you it wasn't my intention

OP to RS: I do appreciate it. could never be with someone that was

RS to OP: Me neither

RS to OP: It's like I see rabbit things in your house and when we go places you take pics of them everywhere. For me I'm thinking who do you have that connection with? And the same things will play on your mind. At the end of the day this is now not then

RS to OP: I wasn't a stripper or a ho

Nerf no there isn't another one. She reported it to the police and OP spent the night in cells but no charges were made. He was suing her for reputational damage but it never got to court in the end. I have read that he was told he couldn't pursue a civil case during the criminal trial but I have no idea a) if he was really told that (because I read it in the paper) and b) if it is a fact under SA law. He apparently paid her legal costs. .

And no, Reeva wasn't nearly as well known as OP (who was internationally famous after all, not just in SA)and even according to those who knew her, she wasn't earning much but, like acting, it's a hellishly difficult profession to be in. There are hundreds of good looking blonde girls out there. To be frank I always thought Reeva looked much prettier before she did went down the blonde route but I guess that's what was needed to get the work and it's all about personal preference after all .

Upnorth yes it was allegedly Sam Taylor and her sister who were both doing this.

Louise, I wonder if the management teams of OP and Reeva were trying for a South African "Posh & Becks", perhaps neither were that keen to be so labelled and it was still early in their relationship. The early pictures of Reeva as a brunette were, in my opinion, stunning.

I read some stuff regarding whether or not security guards would make mention of arguments going on in the houses they were patrolling
The implication was that the 'help' wouldn't note it in the guard room specifically but that with windows open it was often heard in estates everywhere.

I wondered if this was why initially it was regarded as a domestic incident and reported that way by the police. Perhaps because they had heard an argument ongoing on the estate that night.

Emotions do they know who Posh and Becks are ? (Sadly I suppose everyone does.) I wouldn't want to be labelled like that, would anyone really?

Yes, I thought she was really beautiful as a natural brunette. She was obviously still a very good looking girl as a blonde but she looked like many others. I think the more natural shots are so much better.

They hadn't been going out long enough to even consider Posh and Becks
It certainly didn't seem like a love match even though OP stated that they were deeply in love in his bail statement

Given the situation I'd probably/possibly have done the same.
Factually they were only starting going out had spent a great deal of time apart.
I know that it is now being portrayed that OP wanted to buy a place and move in with her but I am unsure how likely or true that it on the evidence. He's never met her family, told her he loved her etc etc

They had been only three months into a relationship that really was not perfect - the honeymoon period didn't seem to last very long, did it... to me it seemed like a relationship of convenience - who knows which of them it really benefitted though.

Certainly don't follow the logic that OP needed Ms Steenkamp.
I think he had and enjoyed masses of female attention as a good looking Olympian and inspiration to many.
She was a model and I guess had hordes of men after her too.
It would undoubtedly raise her profile being seen and photographed with him. It might be that that would have been all it ever became for them or perhaps it might have become something...or could have already for her? Dunno

Ah yes Louise I think the PR bods everywhere know of "Posh and Becks" and would probably sell their grannies to have such a couple on their books! Cynical, moi?