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Pistorius in shock ‘not guilty’ verdict
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“BLADE Runner” Oscar Pistorius was found not guilty of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp yesterday, a shock decision that left the South African celebrity athlete sobbing with emotion in the dock.
“The state clearly has not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of premeditated murder,” judge Thokozile Masipa told the High Court in Pretoria.
“Viewed in its totality the evidence failed to establish that the accused had the requisite intention to kill the deceased let alone with premeditation,” she said.
Pistorius could still be found guilty of culpable homicide, carrying anything from a suspended sentence to a lengthy prison stretch, or he could be acquitted.
Masipa is expected to disclose her verdict on this charge when the court reconvenes today.
When he heard yesterday’s judgment, 27-year-old Pistorius, a double-amputee Paralympian sprinter, sat in the dock and buried his head in his hands.
After the court adjourned, his sister Aimee rushed from the first row of the public gallery to hug her older brother, who was wiping tears from his eyes with a handkerchief.
The victim’s parents, Barry and June Steenkamp, left the courtroom with stony faces.
When asked if this is good news for Pistorius, his Aunt Lois replied: “It’s not the end you know, we’re still listening.”
Legal experts expressed shock at the dismissal of murder charges and predicted the case that had gripped South Africans for a year would not rest with the verdict.
Both defense and prosecution agree that Pistorius killed Steenkamp, a law graduate and fashion model, when he fired four shots through a locked toilet door in his upmarket Pretoria home.
The sprinter says he thought he was shooting at an intruder and that Steenkamp was safely in bed. The prosecution says he killed her in a fit of rage after an argument.
Masipa moved quickly through her judgment, rejecting state evidence that pointed to an argument between the couple.
“Neither the evidence of the loving relationship or a relationship turned sour can assist this court to determine whether the accused had the requisite intention to kill the deceased,” she said. The judge also reviewed evidence by neighbors who testified to hearing shots and screams, saying many “had their facts wrong.”
She said the huge media coverage of the case could have affected some witnesses.
“I am of the view that they failed to separate what they knew personally or what they heard from other people or what they gathered from the media,” she said.
But Masipa also said Pistorius was “evasive” on the stand, and that his evidence showed “a number of defenses, or apparent defenses.” She added: “The accused was a very poor witness.”
The six-month murder trial has cast a harsh spotlight on the fallen hero’s private life.
Full of high drama, the trial has fed intense media interest worldwide, with live broadcasts veering into the realm of TV reality shows.
During proceedings Pistorius has broken down, weeping and at times vomiting as he heard how his 29-year-old girlfriend’s head “exploded” like a watermelon under the impact of his hollow-point bullets.
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