The upshot of my "epiphany" earlier is that I am keeping an open mind on perhaps the cricket bat blows coming before the shots... and so OP being guilty!!!!

But..........

If the door was hit AFTER the shots... you have got to acquit

And it looks like the prosecution concedes that the bat hits did come after the shots.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

It would not surprise me if they have all buggered off to have lunch without telling us Trial watchers

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

The session has been adjourned until lunch.

LUNCH

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

I am beginning to think this is a bit of a farce.

Ear witnesses who testify to not only what they hear.. but what they imagine was happening a quarter of a mile away.

Security guards who can't remember the sequence of two call.. that are critically important.

Witnesses who change original statements when they get to court.

An ME who is squeamish about blood and injuries. Has some ethical problems about it being heard publicly???? Why is he in that job?

A forensic evidence examiner who just takes pictures and does not take notes? Pulls findings out of his arse on a whim and does not even put it down in writing in a report. Tells Nel and just closes the file. Only reveals it in court 4 months later. Has no clues about chain of custody of evidence and what might have happend to bits of key evidence that he is examining. Asks about it and then just lets it go.

What in heavens name will we get next? A ballistics expert who did not count how many bullets there were, and has no idea where all the bits went?

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

The court is back in session with defence lawyer Barry Roux continuing his cross-examination of Vermeulen.

He asks him to explain why the witness think the shots happened before Pistorius battered the door with the bat.

He says the nature of the crack in the wood, which leads into a bullet hole, leads him to think this.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Mark on door that this dope did not investigate... Roux says evidence of prosthesis on door, and varnish from door on the prostheses

this kinda PROVED he was wearing his legs!!!!!!!!!

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

12:15 pm

Roux has gone back to the missing pieces of the door.

Col Vermeulen is shown a picture of the door, which includes the missing pieces of woods lying next to it.

He says of the picture he is shown that it is the first time he has seen them.

He says he didn't pay attention to them when previously looking at the picture. Roux argues they are "crucial" bit of evidence.

12:19 pm

Roux asks the witness to go back to the door, and asks him to look at a mark near the handle.

Vermeulen says he could not find any evidence it was caused by a cricket bat.

Roux says the mystery mark on the door was Pistorius kicking with his prosthetic leg, and there were fibres from the athlete's sock embedded in the mark.

The witness suggests the mark could have been contaminated later once the door had been knocked down, and walked over.

Roux says the fabric was tested, the wood was tested, the prosthesis was tested - "they all matched".

Vermeulen says: "He could have stumbled over the plank."

"The kicking is not the only possible source of that."

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

OP said in his statement that he kicked the door... so why the hell did nobody test these marks that were seen or look for other signs of kicking??

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

12:30 pm

Roux says the witness should go away and stumble over the plank and make a mark like that.

He asks Vermeulen if anyone was asked to investigate whether the door had been kicked down - the witness says not as far as he knows.

Roux says Pistorius said in his bail application that he put his legs on and kicked the door prior to getting the cricket bat.

But Vermeulen says he didn't see Pistorius' version of events until recently.

He said "he just happened to see" Oscar's version in a file lying open on a desk and scanned through it. The witness says he tries to be as "objective" as possible without favouring one side or the other.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

12:47 pm
Roux is still trying to find out how the exhibits were preserved after the shooting on February 14.

A picture is shown to the court, showing a panel lying on a tiled floor in a pool of blood.

Pistorius shields his eyes and bends his head as the pictures are shown.

12:43 pm
Roux suggests police later wiped off the footprints.

The witness says the door was taken back to Pistorius' house on March 8 (when Vermeulen went to the property - in a body bag.

He can't say where the door had been kept.

12:38 pm
Roux says he was not going to be "bothered" about Pistorius' version as it would not have changed his investigation.

The defence lawyer is now talking about police shoe prints on a panel of the door at the crime scene.

He presents a picture showing police shoe prints on the door, near the bullet holes.

He says the first time he had access to the door and the bat, it was not in the same condition as it was on February 14.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

1:03 pm
Barry Roux asks Vermeulen is he has ever dealt with cases involving marks on wooden doors.

The witness says he is not a certified tool mark examiner but the principles used are similar to other investigations.

The court has been adjourned for the day.

12:55 pm
The court is now been showing another picture.

It includes the entrance to the bathroom, showing splinters of wood, two bullet casings, blood spatter and bloodied towels.

There is also a women's toiletry bag.

12:52 pm
Roux asks the witness how exhibits are kept. The Col says they are kept under lock and key so no one can tamper with them.

But while the door was in the safekeeping of the forensic department, it somehow managed to get "significant marks" on it which were not there at the crime scene, sometime after March 8, Roux says.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

This guy is losing his voice and sweating like a pig!

And so he should.... this is farcical

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

The State vs Oscar Pretorius (Murder 1)



Trial Day 9

Start 9:30 AM Thursday (3-13-14)

9:00AM J/Burg ----> 3:00AM ET ----> 2:00AM CT ---->1:00AM MT ---->12:00AM PT
(Times amended to include US clocks moved one hour forward)





Links for Live Streaming

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Twitter

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Factual Updates https://twitter.com/OscarHardTruth

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Live Blog

Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news ... es-3201648

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dailymaverick: http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Roux opened by asking witness for his phone records... since he left court yesterday.

I imagine Roux is after proof of what I already said... these witnesses are being coached

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

7:38 am

The hearing is getting underway in Pretoria. The toilet cubicle and door from yesterday are still set up in the court.

Defence barrister Barry Roux has resumed his cross-examination of police forensics expert Col Vermeulen.

He asks the witness for his telephone records from yesterday and last night. Is he suggesting the witness consulted with certain people overnight?

Roux is now asking Vermeulen about his qualifications.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Witness... still looks like Ricky Gervais

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light