Oscar Pistorius full affadavit
2013-02-20 09:06
I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder, let
alone premeditated murder, as I had no intention to kill my girlfriend Reeva
Steenkamp.
On 13 February, Reeva would have gone out with her friends
and I with my friends, Pistorius said in the affidavit.
Reeva then called me and asked that we rather spend the
evening at home.
I agreed and we were content to have a quiet dinner together
at home.
By about 10pm on 13 February 2013, we were in our bedroom.
She was doing her yoga exercises and I was in bed watching television.
My prosthetic legs were off. We were deeply in love and I
could not be happier. I know she felt the same way.
She had given me a present for Valentine's Day, but asked me
only to open it the next day.
After Steenkamp finished her yoga exercises, she got into
bed and we both fell asleep.
I am acutely aware of violent crime being committed by
intruders entering homes with a view to commit crime, including violent crime.
I have received death threats before. I have also been a victim of violence and
of burglary before.
For that reason, I kept my firearm, a 9mm Parabellum,
underneath my bed when I went to bed at night.
During the early hours of 14 February, 2013, I woke up, went
onto the balcony to bring the fan in and close the sliding door, the blinds and
the curtains.
I heard a noise in the bathroom and realised that someone
was in the bathroom. I felt a sense of terror rushing over me.
There are no burglar bars across the bathroom window and I
knew that contractors who worked at my house had left the ladders outside.
Although I did not have my prosthetic legs on I have
mobility on my stumps.
I believed that someone had entered my house. I was too
scared to switch a light on. I grabbed my 9mm pistol from underneath my bed.
On my way to the bathroom, I screamed words to the effect
for him/them to get out of my house and for Reeva to phone the police.
It was pitch dark in the bedroom and I thought Reeva was in
bed. I noticed that the bathroom window was open. I realised that the
intruder/s was/were in the toilet because the toilet door was closed and I did
not see anyone in the bathroom.
I heard movement inside the toilet. The toilet is inside the
bathroom and has a separate door.
It filled me with horror and fear of an intruder or
intruders being inside the toilet.
I thought he or they must have entered through the
unprotected window, he said.
As I did not have my prosthetic legs on and felt extremely
vulnerable, I knew I had to protect Reeva and myself.
I believed that when the intruder/s came out of the toilet
we would be in grave danger.
I felt trapped as my bedroom door was locked and I have
limited mobility on my stumps.
I fired shots at the toilet door and shouted to Reeva to
phone the police, he said.
She did not respond and I moved backwards out of the
bathroom, keeping my eyes on the bathroom entrance.
Everything was pitch dark in the bedroom and I was still too
scared to switch on a light. Reeva was not responding.
When I reached the bed, I realised that Reeva was not in
bed.
That is when it dawned on me that it could have been Reeva
who was in the toilet.
I returned to the bathroom calling her name. I tried to open
the toilet door but it was locked. I rushed back into the bedroom and opened
the sliding door, exiting onto the balcony and screamed for help.
I put on my prosthetic legs, ran back to the bathroom and
tried to kick the toilet door open.
I think I must then have turned on the lights.
I went back into the bedroom and grabbed my cricket bat to
bash open the toilet door. A panel or panels broke off and I found the key on
the floor and unlocked and opened the door.
Reeva was slumped over but alive.
I battled to get her out of the toilet and pulled her into
the bathroom.
I phoned Johan Stander [Stander] who was involved in the
administration of the estate and asked him to phone the ambulance. I phoned
Netcare and asked for help, said Pistorius.
I went downstairs to open the front door. I returned to the
bathroom and picked Reeva up as I had been told not to wait for the paramedics,
but to take her to hospital.
I carried her downstairs in order to take her to the
hospital. On my way down, Stander arrived. A doctor who lives in the complex
also arrived.
Downstairs, I tried to render the assistance to Reeva that I
could, but she died in my arms.
I am absolutely mortified by the events and the devastating
loss of my beloved Reeva.
With the benefit of hindsight I believe that Reeva went to
the toilet when I went out onto the balcony to bring the fan in.
I cannot bear to think of the suffering I have caused her
and her family, knowing how much she was loved.
I also know that the events of that tragic night were as I
have described them and that in due course I have no doubt the police and
expert investigators will bear this out, said Pistorius.
I will stand trial should it proceed against me. I am a
well-known international athlete and there is no possibility I will even think
of not standing my trial should there be one.
I trust the South African legal system and the facts will
show I did not murder Reeva.
I do not know the identity of any of the witnesses upon whom
the State will rely in order to attempt to prove a case against me.
I any event I have no intention to interfere with the
witnesses as I have no cause to do so and I undertake not to do so.
I maintain good relationships with people and bear no
grudges against anyone.
As previously stated, I have no previous convictions and
have not been released on bail pending any charges.
I am not disposed to violence.
