Copyright: TVB Pearl News, Ms. Sonya Artero
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0kPU3QpwEI
{O/C} Explosive testimony by Oscar Pistorius who is on trial for murdering his girlfriend.
While taking the witness stand in his own defence, the paralympic track star begins sobbing while apologising to the victim's family.
Sonya Artero reports.
{SOT}
The first words Oscar Pistorius uttered in his own defence was an apology to Reeva Steenkamp's family for gunning her down on Valentines Day. Words that were met with a stone cold stare by the victim's mother.
{Soundbite} OSCAR PISTORIUS, Olympian Accused of Murdering Girlfriend: I would like to apologise and say that there is not a moment and there hasn't been a moment since this tragedy happened, and I haven't thought about your family.
The disabled South African track star claims he fired four times through a toilet door of his Pretoria home believing he was defending Reeva from an intruder.
{Soundbite} I can't imagine the pain and the sorrow and the emptiness that I have caused you and your family. I was simply trying to protect Reeva.
He also alleged he never would have hurt Reeva because he deeply loved her.
{Soundbite} I can promise you that when she went to bed that night, she felt loved.
The court also heard that Pistorius shot Steenkamp with at least three rounds of bullets, one of which - to the head - killed her almost instantly.
He claims he's never been able to sleep since the shooting. And because he has terrible nightmares he has to constantly mediate himself to sleep.
{Soundbite} I wake and I smell, I can smell the blood and I wake up to being terrified.
He further claims that losing Reeva as a result of gunning her down, means he never wants to touch a gun again.
{Soundbite} On that particular night, I don't obviously ever want to handle a firearm again or be around a firearm.
Today's distraught Pistorius was in stark contrast to the gun-obsessed, fast-living hothead that prosecutors have described as being in the first 16 days of the trial.
The trial resumes tomorrow.
Sonya Artero, TVB news.
Comments