The state has completed its case in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius with more of a whimper than a bang.
Recalled at the request of the defence to explain a mark its experts claim was made by a cricket bat, but which was not considered during his investigation, forensic expert Colonel Johannes Vermeulen refused to accept defence advocate Barry Roux's argument that the mark was made by the cricket bat.
He told the court that, while he had tested the mark with the bat during his investigation, he had discounted it as being made by the bat, and had not included photos of his test in the album he presented as part of his evidence.
Roux put it to Vermeulen that the height of the mark would discount the state's theory that Pistorius had broken down the door with the bat while on his stumps - not on his prostheses, as claimed in his version of events.
Vermeulen argued that the difference in height between the defence's purported cricket bat mark and the one below, which he had identified as being made by the bat, was too small to discount his original contention that the Paralympian was on his stumps when he broke down the toilet door.
Nel then closed the state's case and Roux requested an adjournment in order for the defence team to consider which witnesses on the state's list it would consult.
Judge Thokozile Masipa granted a postponement until Friday morning, when the defence will begin presenting its case. Pistorius is expected to testify in his own defence.
The soppy side of the relationship between Oscar Pistorius and his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp emerged during cross-examination of state cell phone analyst Captain Francois Moller on the fifteenth day of the Paralympian's murder trial.
Intent on demonstrating that - as stated in his client's affidavit - his relationship with Steenkamp had been a warm and loving one, Roux had Moller read out messages full of "my angel", boos, babas, miss yous and kisses that indicated Pistorius’s and Steenkamp's affection for each other in the months before the shooting.
Roux also showed CCTV footage from a garage shop of the couple shopping for snacks and kissing each other in the shop’s aisles.
The clip, which was screened on Sky News, brought Steenkamp's mother June, who was in the gallery, to tears and was shown despite objections from prosecutor Gerrie Nel.
Moller’s testimony was followed by a short appearance on the stand by Warrant Officer Frans Maritz from the Boschkop Police Station.
Maritz testified that Pistorius's name did not appear in the police database as having reported any crimes to the police and that there was only one record of a burglary incident in Silver Woods Estate from October 2011, which did not involved the athlete or his residence in the estate.
Nel is set to call a new witness after the lunch break today.- Tymon Smith
So far, the fifteenth day of Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial hasn’t seen any bombshells relating to the state's evidence about the analysis of two cell phones belonging to the Paralympian.
Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year.
Phone records showed that there were connections to the internet on phones belonging to both Pistorius and Steenkamp after 10pm on February 13 2013, when, according to Pistorius's version of events, the couple had gone to bed.
But, during cross-examination, state cell phone analyst Captain Francois Moller admitted that these could have been caused by open applications on iPhones and couldn’t be determined as evidence of actual interaction by either Pistorius or Steenkamp with their handsets at the time.
Phone records also showed that, after the shooting, Pistorius had called Johan Stander, the manager of the Silver Woods Estate, where he lived, as well as Pieter Baba, a security guard at the estate.
Records also show a call for an ambulance and calls to his friend Justin Divaris and manager Peet van Zyl.
Defence advocate Barry Roux asked Moller about the process he had followed to select WhatsApp messages from Steenkamp's phone, which he read out during his testimony as evidence of arguments between the couple.
Roux showed that when read in the context of messages that preceded or followed them, these arguments had been resolved.
Cross-examination of Moller will continue after the tea adjournment, with messages demonstrating the couple’s shared love of cars and e-mails sent by Steenkamp.
It is expected that the state will wrap up its case soon after Moller's testimony.
Oscar Trial: Day 15 Summary
The state has completed its case in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius with more of a whimper than a bang.
Recalled at the request of the defence to explain a mark its experts claim was made by a cricket bat, but which was not considered during his investigation, forensic expert Colonel Johannes Vermeulen refused to accept defence advocate Barry Roux's argument that the mark was made by the cricket bat.
He told the court that, while he had tested the mark with the bat during his investigation, he had discounted it as being made by the bat, and had not included photos of his test in the album he presented as part of his evidence.
Roux put it to Vermeulen that the height of the mark would discount the state's theory that Pistorius had broken down the door with the bat while on his stumps - not on his prostheses, as claimed in his version of events.
Vermeulen argued that the difference in height between the defence's purported cricket bat mark and the one below, which he had identified as being made by the bat, was too small to discount his original contention that the Paralympian was on his stumps when he broke down the toilet door.
Nel then closed the state's case and Roux requested an adjournment in order for the defence team to consider which witnesses on the state's list it would consult.
Judge Thokozile Masipa granted a postponement until Friday morning, when the defence will begin presenting its case. Pistorius is expected to testify in his own defence.
The soppy side of the relationship between Oscar Pistorius and his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp emerged during cross-examination of state cell phone analyst Captain Francois Moller on the fifteenth day of the Paralympian's murder trial.
Intent on demonstrating that - as stated in his client's affidavit - his relationship with Steenkamp had been a warm and loving one, Roux had Moller read out messages full of "my angel", boos, babas, miss yous and kisses that indicated Pistorius’s and Steenkamp's affection for each other in the months before the shooting.
Roux also showed CCTV footage from a garage shop of the couple shopping for snacks and kissing each other in the shop’s aisles.
The clip, which was screened on Sky News, brought Steenkamp's mother June, who was in the gallery, to tears and was shown despite objections from prosecutor Gerrie Nel.
Moller’s testimony was followed by a short appearance on the stand by Warrant Officer Frans Maritz from the Boschkop Police Station.
Maritz testified that Pistorius's name did not appear in the police database as having reported any crimes to the police and that there was only one record of a burglary incident in Silver Woods Estate from October 2011, which did not involved the athlete or his residence in the estate.
Nel is set to call a new witness after the lunch break today.- Tymon Smith
So far, the fifteenth day of Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial hasn’t seen any bombshells relating to the state's evidence about the analysis of two cell phones belonging to the Paralympian.
Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year.
Phone records showed that there were connections to the internet on phones belonging to both Pistorius and Steenkamp after 10pm on February 13 2013, when, according to Pistorius's version of events, the couple had gone to bed.
But, during cross-examination, state cell phone analyst Captain Francois Moller admitted that these could have been caused by open applications on iPhones and couldn’t be determined as evidence of actual interaction by either Pistorius or Steenkamp with their handsets at the time.
Phone records also showed that, after the shooting, Pistorius had called Johan Stander, the manager of the Silver Woods Estate, where he lived, as well as Pieter Baba, a security guard at the estate.
Records also show a call for an ambulance and calls to his friend Justin Divaris and manager Peet van Zyl.
Defence advocate Barry Roux asked Moller about the process he had followed to select WhatsApp messages from Steenkamp's phone, which he read out during his testimony as evidence of arguments between the couple.
Roux showed that when read in the context of messages that preceded or followed them, these arguments had been resolved.
Cross-examination of Moller will continue after the tea adjournment, with messages demonstrating the couple’s shared love of cars and e-mails sent by Steenkamp.
It is expected that the state will wrap up its case soon after Moller's testimony.
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