Story of emotional Pistorius told
2013-02-19 21:01
Pretoria - Oscar Pistorius was emotional when his
affidavit on how he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was read to the
Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
"I deny the aforesaid [murder] allegation in the
strongest terms," Pistorius said in the 10-page statement, which was read
to the court by his advocate Barry Roux.
Pistorius' version of events was being presented in an
application for bail on the same day that Steenkamp's funeral service was being
held in Port Elizabeth, about 1 100km away.
Pistorius was arrested on Thursday morning after
Steenkamp was shot dead at his home in Silver Woods country estate, in
Pretoria.
He was charged with murder on Friday.
The State intends arguing that the murder was
pre-meditated.
With his brother Carl supporting him, the court heard:
"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."
In the affidavit, Pistorius said he would put factors
before the court to show that it was in the interests of justice to permit his
release on bail, and that the State would not be able to present any
"objective facts" that he committed a "planned or premeditated
murder".
"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 22:00 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."
Pistorius said that after Steenkamp finished her yoga
exercises, she got into bed and they 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," he said in the statement.
"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.
Filled with terror
"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.
Realisation
"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.
His bail application continues on Wednesday.
- SAPA
