Oscar Pistorius Trial Part 6

[Roussette]

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

But of course all DRs are trained provisionally in all areas, so they know what they are doing, just not their area of expertise.

I suppose here, if we do go outside to investigate screaming then our chances of getting shot are a lot slimmer than in SA, maybe that's why people wer more likely to hide than help? Though ignoring it completely would seem odd. I have raced outside three times in he middle of the night three times wher I live, and given police statements. Once when someone was very badly beaten up while being mugged and th attackers tried to fool me into thinking they had been hurt by the man the mugged!

Springy - thank you. I have since found that the lady is a former defence attorney and the man is an academic. I don't envy either of them.

There are some very well-considered posts on the Web Sleuth forum, on both sides of the fence.

If OP went back up to the bedroom for Reeva's handbag, why did Carise hear him walking "in the tiled area" which I assume is the bathroom as the bedroom is carpeted? Especially since they were urging him to be quick.

Speedwell - I think that argument would carry more weight if she hadn't been so clearly on the verge of death. It was obvious to the witnesses that she was extremely seriously wounded - I think Stipp said she looked "mortally wounded"... would he have really thought, observing what he had done to her, that she had any chance of survival?

Speedwell, he knew he was being observed at this point so of course he is going to make out he wants Reeva to live. But then why did he not call an ambulance?

Viljoen's voice is jarring.

On a side note I have so much sympathy for the Standers and Stripp for having to witness what they did, pictures they can never erase from their memories, how awful.

I suppose I thought that the witnesses would be able to tell if it was acting or if he really desperately wanted her to live? Maybe not

WildThong is that what she said? How odd, why would he have gone back into the bathroom?

Speedwell if he knew it was RS in the bathroom and if he had had the foresight to manufacture the intruder story, I'm damn sure he could act out weeping and wailing that he wanted RS to live.

Yes probably

If the judge said "yes, I want to talk to you too" like she just has to Nel, I'd be nervous!

Wonder what nel wants to see the judge for?

I find it really weird that some of you feel OP should listen to the witnesses and not cover his ears. It's not a test of moral fibre or 'taking it like a man' - if he can't listen, he can't listen.

I would remember if lights were on, for the simple reason that I would know if I could clearly see things. Bit weird that the witness Justin the stand couln't remember.

Has Ms Stander just testified to another meeting with OP that her father didn't mention?

Looking at the pictures, there is another tiled area at the top of the stairs. She said she was standing on the landing, but didn't go all the way up (so the landing part way up the stairs), so I wonder if she heard him on the top landing and not in the bathroom.

Wild-. I has assumed she was referring to the landing and passage which were tiled and would be heard from the hallway. Doubt she would hear bathroom from so far away

It's not a test of moral fibre or 'taking it like a man' - if he can't listen, he can't listen.

I agree. I mean, I can see why people want him to face up to the consequences of his actions, but I think it's possibly more important at the current time, that he doesn't keep having to interrupt the court for a break. If he's got a coping mechanism to get through it while they do what needs to be done, then I think it's better that he uses it, and let the court proceedings happen.

Didn't she say Col Van Rensberg took her and her father to see OP one evening after the bail hearing
Her father said he's only seen him at the memorial

Or not?

Regarding what happens if the defence lawyer thinks his client is lying, my understanding is that his job is not to prove the client's innocence, it's to ensure the client gets a fair trial by questioning the validity of all prosecution evidence to make sure his client doesn't go down based on false evidence. I suppose if defence lawyers had to step down if they suspected the client was lying we'd hear of trials collapsing because of this all the time but we don't. On the other hand, if the defendant tells the defence lawyer he did it, the defence lawyer can't encourage them to go on the stand and protest his innocence. That's my understanding based on googling. Is that right?

But of course all DRs are trained provisionally in all areas, so they know what they are doing, just not their area of expertise.But of course all DRs are trained provisionally in all areas, so they know what they are doing, just not their area of expertise.

I agree, Onestep, but he may not have practised emergency or trauma medicine since his training. He might, but he might not. He's a doctor, so went to help, but he usually does x-rays. So better than Joe Bloggs of the street, but not quite as good as a paramedic.

I can see why, in that situation, you'd want to make the disclaimer. He knows, at that point, he might be responsible for someone living or dying.

Basically, I'm not reading too much into him saying it, and I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility that he did.

I get that Nerf - but when a possibly young girl has to relate all manner of gruesome things in the witness stand, I would have thought that he could just steel himself to listen, perhaps for her sake. And yes, it is a bit about facing up to it.

I suppose I thought that the witnesses would be able to tell if it was acting or if he really desperately wanted her to live?

To make it slightly more compliated, you've also got her emotional state to deal with. She desperately wanted Reeva to live, and this may have been colouring her judgement of his actions/words. (Maybe)

I wonder if they're going to come back before lunch.