Oscar: I had to protect myself and Reeva
2013-02-19 14:54
Video
2013-02-19 15:00
Watch Oscar Pistorius leave the Pretoria Magistrate's Court during a break in his bail hearing as members of his family looked on during court proceedings.WATCH
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Pretoria - Oscar Pistorius denied murdering his girlfriend
Reeva Steenkamp on the morning of Valentine's Day, in an affidavit read out to
the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
"I deny the allegation in the strongest terms. Nothing
can be further from the truth," said the affidavit read by Pistorius's
lawyer advocate Barry Roux .
Pistorius had been teary the whole morning, but when the
affidavit, marked "Exhibit A" was produced during his bail
application, he began sobbing, his body shaking.
Gift
His brother Carl held his back and placed his hand over his
head, passing him an energy drink as Roux read that Steenkamp had given
Pistorius a Valentine's Day present and he "couldn't have been
happier".
"She gave me a present for Valentine's and told me to
open it the next day," the affidavit said.
On the eve of Valentine's Day, Steenkamp would have gone out
with her friends, and he with his, the court heard.
They decided to have a quiet dinner.
Magistrate Desmond Nair had to pause proceedings briefly as
Pistorius wept saying to him: "Just maintain your composure. Apply your
mind."
He warned the media not to take photographs.
Pistorius said in his affidavit, he and Steenkamp got into
bed and they fell asleep.
Death threats
"I have received death threats before," the
affidavit continued.
He kept a 9mm firearm under his bed.
Pistorius, a double amputee, who runs on carbon fibre
blades, said he had mobility on stumps, and could walk on them.
He said intruders were in the toilet. He heard a noise and
was "filled with horror and fear".
He heard someone in the bathroom.
"As I didn't have my prosthetic legs on I was
vulnerable," the affidavit continued.
"I fired a shot at the toilet door and shouted to Reeva
to call the police," he said.
"I felt extremely vulnerable as I didn't have my
prosthetic legs on and knew I had to protect myself and Reeva," the
affidavit continued.
"When I reached the bed, I realised Reeva wasn't in the
bed."
He said he tried to open the bathroom door, but it was
locked, and went to the balcony to scream for help.
He put "on" his legs, and broke the door open with
a cricket bat, got a key and opened it.
"Reeva was slumped over but alive."
He carried her downstairs to take her to hospital and a
doctor in the complex arrived.
"She died in my arms."
Bail
"I trust the South African legal system and the facts
will show that I did not murder Reeva."
Pistorius said in the statement that he is not a flight
risk, will not interfere with witnesses, has no previous convictions and is not
disposed to violence. His continued incarceration will be of "no
benefit" to the State.
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