DEFENCE witness and sports science and medicine expert Professor Wayne Derman was given no quarter by prosecutor Gerrie Nel in the final session of the 37th day of Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial.
Pistorius is accused of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp after shooting her in his Pretoria home on Valentine’s Day last year. He claims he mistook her for an intruder.
Asked by Nel to explain how the noises Pistorius heard in the early hours of that morning may have induced a fight response in perception of potential danger, Derman objected that the question was unfair as he had not been present at the time of the shooting.
Derman complained that the question was outside of his area of expertise and he could only answer using what the Blade Runner had told him during consultation.
Nel said the problem with Derman's testimony was it was trying to fit the facts into the version of events given by Pistorius and did not speak objectively about the fight or flight response.
When asked by Nel if, in his opinion, Pistorius had intended to shoot when he held his gun in his outstretched arms and was making his way toward the perceived threat, Derman said he believed so.
Nel then asked Derman if he believed that Pistorius had fired directly at the third sound he heard behind the toilet door, Derman at first pleaded that he could not answer the question but eventually conceded that Pistorius had fired at the sound.
Nel requested a postponement until Monday in order to consult with one of the psychiatrists on the panel that observed Pistorius during his almost 30-day observation before he continued with his cross-examination of Derman.
Judge Thokozile Masipa granted the postponement.
Day 37 ends for Oscar
Pistorius is accused of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp after shooting her in his Pretoria home on Valentine’s Day last year. He claims he mistook her for an intruder.
Asked by Nel to explain how the noises Pistorius heard in the early hours of that morning may have induced a fight response in perception of potential danger, Derman objected that the question was unfair as he had not been present at the time of the shooting.
Derman complained that the question was outside of his area of expertise and he could only answer using what the Blade Runner had told him during consultation.
Nel said the problem with Derman's testimony was it was trying to fit the facts into the version of events given by Pistorius and did not speak objectively about the fight or flight response.
When asked by Nel if, in his opinion, Pistorius had intended to shoot when he held his gun in his outstretched arms and was making his way toward the perceived threat, Derman said he believed so.
Nel then asked Derman if he believed that Pistorius had fired directly at the third sound he heard behind the toilet door, Derman at first pleaded that he could not answer the question but eventually conceded that Pistorius had fired at the sound.
Nel requested a postponement until Monday in order to consult with one of the psychiatrists on the panel that observed Pistorius during his almost 30-day observation before he continued with his cross-examination of Derman.
Judge Thokozile Masipa granted the postponement.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos