Elizabeth HagedornThe cross examination of double-amputee track star Oscar Pistorius got off to a dramatic start Wednesday.
PROSECUTOR "You killed her. You shot and killed her. You need to take responsibility for that."
PISTORIUS "I did, my lady."
PROSECUTOR "Say it then." (Via CNN)
Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to murdering his then-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria home last year. He admits to shooting her, but says at the time he thought she was an intruder. (Via ITN)
PISTORIUS: "Before I knew it I fired four shots at the door. My ears were ringing. I couldn't hear anything." (Via MSNBC)
PISTORIUS: "I just sat there with her and I waited for the ambulance to arrive. I felt helpless." (Via Channel 4)
In the first two days of his testimony, Pistorius talked about his disability and how he's taking antidepressants and sleeping pills to cope with his nightmares. He even took off his prosthetic leg and took a step forward in the courtroom, in what observers say was an attempt by his defense to humanize him. (Via CCTV)
State prosecutors, on the other hand, have sought to portray Pistorius as a trigger-happy, angry boyfriend. This Sky News video of Pistorius at a shooting range was shown in court Wednesday.
Paul Whitefield at The Los Angeles Times offers some insight on the prosecution's strategy: “Forget the heroic image of Pistorius, they’re saying. Forget the Pistorius you think you know. The real man is someone in love with guns, someone with anger issues, someone capable of getting so angry that he could kill a person, even someone he loved.”
Because South Africa doesn’t have a jury system, Pistorius’ fate lies with the judge. If convicted with premeditated murder, he faces at least 25 years in prison.
