Oscar Pistorius Trial Part 6

[Roussette]

here is Part 5 but we are ready (nearly) for a new one.

I am not "enjoying" what this trial is about, but watching Nel is compelling viewing, IYSWIM.

I do actually think Stander is lending himself too much to assisting OP.

Heh, Nel's just made that exact point, HowAboutNo.

HowAboutNo Indeed. The break has invigorated Nel back - he's like a dog with a bone at the moment. If you were in the witness box and you slowly knew where the questioning was going with such slow and measured questions from Nel, it must be like watching an accident about to happen.

I mean 'the break has invigorated Nel'

I think the trouble is Nel comes over as if he is very sceptical of your honesty, which makes you want to be more helpful (offering an inference) which Nel then twists. I think it's word play not catching people out in a lie.

Because he does it to all of them - OP, Dixon, Stander - it's just a method.

Yes Nerf I agree. You just have to be so much on your toes I imagine. One wrong word and you get yourself in a mess.

Thing is, the witnesses should be prepared for his style of question - the defence know Nel's style

*questioning

I agree, Nerf. I think it's hard for a laywitness to say 'he implied he made a mistake' or 'he described a mistake'. I think without having all the legal training in the world, you'd probably just say 'he said he made a mistake'.

Yes, but there's only so much you can do to prepare someone. I mean at the moment Nel is trying to get Stander to slip up over the phone and where it was - I'm not sure that it's that important, and I would hate someone's evidence to be totally discounted because Nel managed to reveal some small error of memory.

I wonder if this is why some of the closer neighbours who heard far more declined to take the witness stand. (so I thought)

I really like the judge.

I really don't like Old Much prefer Roux, but maybe that's because this guy looks bloody scary!

He is terrifying, even when he's asking questions of his own witnesses!

Roux actually looks gentle and sweet compared to him!

What, 'old pushover Barry Roux'..?

Ha, indeed! That feels like a distant memory after Nel!

Totally irrelevant but Ms Viljoun (previous Ms Stander) has the most irritating rising infection in the world.

LOL I was just about to write the same!

Thank god someone else thinks it too! Even worse than Samantha Taylor

Actually, more relevant - she also uses 'will be'' or 'would be' rather than 'is'. Which makes OPs use of the term more like a colloquial speech pattern rather than a deflection, perhaps.

Is that what that's called, my new pet hate "rising inflection" grrr

Why did they stop so abruptly?