Monday, 10 March 2014
Oscar Pistorious Murder Trial: Athlete Vomits in Court During Reeva Steenkamp Autopsy Testimony
Oscar Pistorious's became visibly ill in court during a testimony on Monday by Professor Gery Saayman, a pathologist who performed the autopsy on Reeva Steenkamp's body.
During the proceedings, Saayman explained gruesome, graphic details about the injuries the former model sustained after she was fatally shot.
The Olympian threw up numerous times while sitting on his dock and listening to the details about the three bullet wounds. He also began crying so much that Judge Thokozile Masipa asked Pistorious' chief defense attorney, Barry Roux, to check on his client.
Roux told the court that Pistorious was not going to be able to change his reaction to the testimony, but that Saayman could proceed. A bucket and plastic bag were then placed at Pistorious' feet.
Masipa ordered that the testimony would not be broadcast or reported live on Twitter by journalists in attendance Monday, as the explicit content was not suitable for public consumption.
Reporters, however, were allowed to report on the testimony without directly quoting the witness.
Saayman claimed that the three bullet wounds, on Steenkamp's head, arm and right hip area, were consistent with "ranger" bullets which expand upon impact in order to cause maximum tissue damage.
Issues were also raised during today's testimony regarding who made the first call to the authorities after the shooting, Pistorious or a security guard named Pieter Baba.
Both claim that they were the first ones to alert the police on Valentine's Day last year.
If convicted of premeditated murder, Pistorious could face a minimum of 25 years in prison. He could also get five years for each of the three gun indictments he's been charged with.
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