Oscar Pistorius, the Olympic athlete and hero of South Africa stood before Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair today on a bail hearing where he was charged with premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. At the hearing, both sides presented arguments supporting or denying that charge according to a Feb. 19 report on the Los Angele Times website.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel of the Pretoria’s Magistrate Court stated that no evidence has been found to support Pistorius’ claims that he shot at Steenkamp thinking she was a burglar and that her death was a mistake.
Nel argued that in the event Pistorius thought there was a burglar, his intent was to kill was demonstrated by the fact that he shot through the door into a room just sixteen square feet in size.
Nel contends that what happened was an argument between Pistorius and Steenkamp in the bedroom of the home. Steenkamp fled to the bathroom just seven yards away and locked the door to hide.
The prosecutor said that no one would fire into the tiny room in hopes of simply scaring away a burglar because there was nowhere for the person to go. Steenkamp could not escape the bullets according to Nel. "She couldn't go anywhere. You can run nowhere,” Nel said. "It must have been horrific."
While the athlete may have regretted his actions afterwards, Nel contends his intention up until the moment he fired the gun was to kill his girlfriend.
The prosecutor next described how the double-amputee carried his deceased girlfriend’s body downstairs, trailing blood as he went.
Barry Roux, Pistorius’ defense attorney stated no murder had taken place. According to Roux, "It’s not even murder. There's no agreement there, not even concession that this is murder," he said. He cited numerous instances of men accidently shooting wives through doors believing them to be intruders.
No mention of the bloody cricket bat was made in court today.
A deeply emotional Pistorius wept through most of the hearing. When the Chief Magistrate asked if he understood the arguments, he replied “yes” in a soft but clear voice.
Pistorius was charged with premeditated murder, a charge which will make it nearly impossible for him to receive bail. If convicted, he will serve a life sentence.
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