[Nedusa]

After reading all the reports of this case I must change my original thoughts that this could have been a tragic accident. It wasn't , when you read all the accounts of who was where and take into consideration the number of shots fired, where they were fired and the Bloodied bat and where he moved her to, none of it adds up. in fact using all the known facts about that night so far disclosed I cannot come up with a plausible story of how this could be self defence.

I think now we have to accept he did murder his Girlfriend and he should plead murder with diminished responsibility or under the influence of drugs. But he certainly took he life deliberately, this was never an accident.

Hope he gets full life term 25+ years in Jail, he cannot run away from the truth..!!!

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21503370

South African athletics star Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, said he thought he was firing at an intruder when he shot her at his home.

In court, defence lawyer Barry Roux read a statement from Mr Pistorius saying the couple had decided to spend Thursday evening at home.

At one point, it said, he went to the balcony and heard a noise.

"It was pitch dark in the bedroom," it said. "I did not have my prosthetic legs on and felt extremely vulnerable."

According to the statement, the defendant believed there was an intruder in the bathroom.

He went to the balcony without his prosthetic legs?

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

After reading all the reports of this case I must change my original thoughts that this could have been a tragic accident. It wasn't , when you read all the accounts of who was where and take into consideration the number of shots fired, where they were fired and the Bloodied bat and where he moved her to, none of it adds up. in fact using all the known facts about that night so far disclosed I cannot come up with a plausible story of how this could be self defence.

I think now we have to accept he did murder his Girlfriend and he should plead murder with diminished responsibility or under the influence of drugs. But he certainly took he life deliberately, this was never an accident.

Hope he gets full life term 25+ years in Jail, he cannot run away from the truth..!!!

I think you have come to a very reasonable conclusion. I agree.

Originally Posted by lostalex

are you joking? of course borders have a lot to do with justice systems. are you telling me gay people get proper justice in all countries beyond all borders? that women get treated equally in all countries?

What are you talking about??

Of course Country borders play a HUGE role in the court systems. Do you honestly think a woman or a gay victim can get justice in African or Arab countries?

The point I was responding to, is the reaction of the people in support of the hero versus the model. I'm well aware that justice systems are corrupt around the world. South Africa actually has a fairly robust system with the scrapping of juries for judges.

Originally Posted by Omah

Have you been to South Africa or have you got friends/relatives living there?

Why?

Originally Posted by Omah

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21503370



He went to the balcony without his prosthetic legs?

How can you think a woman (who was probably screaming/crying) in the bathroom could be an intruder?

He owes the truth to her family.

[MTVN]

'I’m accutely aware of people gaining entries to homes to commit crime, I’ve received death threats.I sleep with my 9mm under my bed. I woke up to close the sliding door and heard a noise in the bathroom.

'I was scared and didn’t switch on the light. I got my gun and moved towards the bathroom. I screamed at the intruder because I did not have my legs on I felt vulnerable. I fired shots through the bathroom door and told Reeva to call police.

'I walked back to the bed and realised Reeva was not in bed. Its then it dawned on me it could be her in there.

'I kicked the door open. Called paramedics and complex security. I tried to carry her downstairs for help.I tried to help her but she died in my arms.

'With the benefit of hindsight I realise that Reeva went to the bathroom when I went to close the balcony door.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2LLpmYecU

[GiRTh]

How did he kick the door open when he'd forgotten to put on his legs?

Sad tragic story but unfortunately the evidence points to a guilty verdict. I'm particualrly disturbed by the fact that he shot her 4 times. He certainly made sure she was dead. Nothing accidental about putting 4 rounds into someone.

South Africa seems the kind of country where guns are necessary. My parent in Jamaica have guns and they tell me stories of how they dont go out after a certain time at night cuz its too dangerous. However I doubt my dad would shoot someone 4 times then claim it was an accident.

[MTVN]

The Mail headline says he claims he used the cricket bat to break the door down but then yeah the quote there says he kicked it down so

[Suze]

What I don't get, even if you give him the benefit of the doubt that he did think he was shooting a burglar, why the need to kill the burglar, why not shoot to disable them somehow? Or am I just being dumb here in that assumption?

[Suze]

Originally Posted by MTVN

The Mail headline says he claims he used the cricket bat to break the door down but then yeah the quote there says he kicked it down so

Yes, but this is the DailyMail you are talking about here. Don't they tend to contradict stuff.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by MTVN

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2LLpmYecU
'I’m acutely aware of people gaining entries to homes to commit crime, I’ve received death threats. I sleep with my 9mm under my bed. I woke up to close the sliding door and heard a noise in the bathroom.

'I was scared and didn’t switch on the light. I got my gun and moved towards the bathroom. I screamed at the intruder because I did not have my legs on I felt vulnerable. I fired shots through the bathroom door and told Reeva to call police.

'I walked back to the bed and realised Reeva was not in bed. It's then it dawned on me it could be her in there.

It just doesn't sound right .....

If he "screamed at the intruder" (alleged) then surely Reeva would have shouted back, thus identifying herself .....

[arista]

He is Making it up.

He would know someone was in his home.

Guilty

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21514428

As the prosecution began setting out its case on Wednesday, it said a witness had testified to hearing "non-stop talking like fighting" between the hours of 02:00 and 03:00.

Mr Pistorius claims he was asleep until only moments before the shooting and that there was no argument between the couple.

Ms Steenkamp was "dressed" at the time of the shooting, the prosecution said.

[Omah]

http://news.sky.com/story/1054401/os...-outlines-case

Investigating officer Hilton Botha has described the moment he arrived at the athlete's house in the early hours of the morning and found Miss Steenkamp's body lying on the ground floor.

She was dressed in white shorts and a black top, and covered in towels, he said.

The officer told the court that he saw a firearm on the shower mat, and bullet cartridges in the passageway and the bathroom.

The chances of Pistorius being given bail lessened at the first bail hearing on Tuesday after Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled the case a schedule six offence - meaning premeditated murder.

It means his lawyers now have to prove "exceptional circumstances" for him to be granted bail until he goes to trial.

Mr Botha told the court on Wednesday that Pistorius is a "flight risk" and could flee if given bail.

He said the athlete has offshore accounts and a house in Italy, and stresses that South Africa does not have extradition agreements with all countries.

"We don't want another Dewani case," he said - referring to Shrien Dewani, who is in the UK fighting extradition to South Africa where he is wanted on charges of plotting to kill his wife Anni in 2010.

[Omah]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog...-live-coverage

Testosterone and steroids found at athlete's house – Botha: "We found two boxes of testosterone, needles and injections."

Pistorius faces additional charges for unlicenced ammunition


Nel recalls Pistorius saying he was worried about crime so kept a gun under his bed. Yet he went to bed with the balcony doors open, he asks.


He confirms Pistorius's statement that there were ladders found outside the house; it was being painted. But the ladders were not next to the bathroom window as the defence suggested, Botha says.

Balcony open, ladders outside?

Hardly security-conscious .....

[Suze]

Just reading the news items all again, see he fired shots through bathroom door. So there were bullet holes in the door then I take it? They couldn't have been fired seperately I suppose? Still bl**dy good shots through a door though, consdiering where they hit the target

Also I am damn sure in that situation I would have noticed, no matter how quickly I might have awoke or what time I had to reach for anything, if my partner was there beside me or not, not on returning to the bedroom.

Originally Posted by Suze

Just reading the news items all again, see he fired shots through bathroom door. So there were bullet holes in the door then I take it? They couldn't have been fired seperately I suppose? Still bl**dy good shots through a door though, consdiering where they hit the target

Also I am damn sure in that situation I would have noticed, no matter how quickly I might have awoke or what time I had to reach for anything, if my partner was there beside me or not, not on returning to the bedroom.

Are you, by any chance suggesting, that his story may not exactly add up?

Bit controversial.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Suze

Just reading the news items all again, see he fired shots through bathroom door. So there were bullet holes in the door then I take it? They couldn't have been fired seperately I suppose? Still bl**dy good shots through a door though, consdiering where they hit the target

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...or_plan624.gif

Reeva had no where to hide in the small toilet.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21514428

Mr Botha was later put on the defensive when questioned by Mr Pistorius's lawyer.

He admitted one witness who heard arguing at the house was in her own home 600m (a third of a mile) away.

The testosterone found was actually a legal herbal remedy used by athletes, the defence said.

It said the post mortem showed Ms Steenkamp had an empty bladder consistent with someone getting up to go to the toilet, as detailed in Mr Pistorius's narrative.

It accused Mr Botha of putting the "worst possible interpretation" on the evidence.

[Omah]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...olice-blunders

The lead protagonist in another day of drama at Pretoria magistrates court was police detective Hilton Botha, whose arguments from the witness stand crumbled under cross-examination by the defence.

Botha initially asserted that he had found two boxes of "steroids" in Pistorius's bedroom, hastily changing this to "two boxes of testosterone, needles and injections". Later, questioned by advocate Barry Roux for the defence, Botha had to admit he could not be certain of the contents. Roux said it was a "herbal remedy" called testo-composutim co-enzyme used by many athletes, insisting: "It is not a steroid and it is not a banned substance."

Botha also told the court one of his witnesses had heard a fight, "two people talking loudly at each other", between 2 and 3am on 14 February. But, pressured by Roux, he conceded that the witness had not identified the voices as belonging to Pistorius and Steenkamp and lived some 600 metres away. There was a collective murmur from Pistorius's family. Botha later changed his estimate to 300 metres when questioned by the prosecution.

Botha acknowledged that Pistorius's legal team had found a spent bullet cartridge in the toilet bowl that his officers did not. He also confronted Botha, saying: "You were in the house walking with unprotected shoes. That should not happen." Botha conceded that it should not.

Botha said police found two iPhones in the bathroom and two BlackBerrys in the bedroom, adding that none had been used to phone for help. But Roux claimed the defence team had another phone in its possession that the police had failed to request. "Why did you not come to us and ask for Pistorius's cellphone number?" he asked.

Roux also took him to task for failing to check Pistorius's claim that he phoned the Netcare hospital at 3.20am.

Botha said ammunition for a .38-calibre weapon had been found at the house but Pistorius did not hold a licence for it. "Did you take steps to find out who the owner of the ammunition was?" Roux demanded. Botha replied: "No, I didn't."

Roux said a postmortem showed that Steenkamp's bladder was empty. He said that was consistent with her getting up at 3am to go to the toilet. Botha could not disagree.

Wilting under pressure, Botha conceded that he had initially said there would be "no problem" with Pistorius receiving bail but changed his mind after talking to forensics about "how it went down".

Yet asked repeatedly by Roux if he found anything at the scene inconsistent with the version of events presented by Pistorius in court on Tuesday, Botha confessed that he had not. Police "take every piece of evidence and try to extract the most possibly negative connotation and present it to the court", Roux said.

Oh dear, bungling cops .....

[lostalex]

He'll probably get away with it. Like i said before... OJ Simpson version 2.0

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by lostalex

He'll probably get away with it. Like i said before... OJ Simpson version 2.0

This ^

After watching news reports of yesterday's court room action, my first thought was that he will be cleared.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21528631

The South African detective leading the Oscar Pistorius inquiry is facing seven charges of attempted murder, police have confirmed.

Detective Hilton Botha, who has faced fierce questioning at Mr Pistorius's bail hearing, was allegedly involved in a shooting two years ago.

Mr Pistorius, a Paralympic champion, denies the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 29.

His bail hearing has now resumed for a third day in Pretoria.

Reinstated charges

Police spokesman Neville Malila said that Det Botha and two other officers were due to appear in court in May.

Mr Malila said it was alleged that while driving a state-owned vehicle the three had opened fire on a minibus taxi loaded with passengers.

The three were arrested in 2011, Eyewitness News says, citing police.

Mr Malila said the charges against Det Botha had originally been dropped but were reinstated. It is unclear when this took place or whether Det Botha will continue working on the case.

Medupe Simasiku, a spokesman for the Pistorius prosecutors, told Associated Press they were unaware of the charges and would now investigate whether the detective should remain.

WTF .....

Trigger-happy cops now .....

[Omah]

http://news.sky.com/story/1054865/pi...murder-charges

Hilton Botha and two other officers reportedly opened fire on seven passengers in a taxi mini-bus in an attempt to stop it. It is alleged that the officers, who were on duty at the time, were drunk.

They were arrested after the event in October 2011 and charges were initially dropped but were reinstated by the state prosecutor in the days before the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp.

Prosecutors are understood to be in discussions with police about whether to drop Botha from the investigation, however, police are insisting that no decision has been made.

"whether to drop Botha" .....

Surely, with serious charges against him, he shouldn't even be working, but suspended .....

[arista]

No he is still on ther case
South African Law
is like no other nation