8:33 am
Pistorius is sat in the witness box looking focused and as though he is concentrating hard.

The trial is due to start again at any moment.

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

8:44 am
Nel says he has "cut my cross examination in half" after Pistorius said "she used to pray for me".

Nel picks up on the me, me, me, aspect of what he said.

Nel asks him if he had ever recorded crime. Pistorius says he has not.

8:42 am
Pistorius confirms that he is religious and wanted to have a Christian girlfriend.

He says Reeva was not his first Christian girlfriend.

Nel says he is not challenging his faith. He says that the way he gave his evidence was interesting.

8:41 am
Court has now resumed.

Pistorius is reminded that he is under oath.

Nel says June Steenkamp informed him that Pistorius had requested meeting before the trial.

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

8:55 am
Pistorius said it is possible to take an alarm sensor off the wall - they aren't bolted on.

There was work done on his house so beacons may have been taken off at the time.

He believes they may have painted in around 2010.

8:53 am
Nel asks Pistorius to explain his alarm system.

There are internal and external sensors with a monitoring system with a battery pack for if there's a power failure.

There's also a remote control and you can have just the outside alarm on so you can still walk around inside.

Pistorius said he activated the internal and external alarms on the night of the shooting.

8:52 am
Nel says that if someone was as concerned as him why wouldn't he do something about it.

Pistorius said he heard what happened with security through other people on the estate.

He said he would also get incident reports when driving in through the gate.

8:50 am
Nel says he felt safe enough to leave his car outside and safe enough not to mend the broken window at his home.

Pistorius confirms that there is no burglar proofing on any of the windows.

Pistorius said he was concerned about contractors putting ladders in his garage but didn't check that night if they had.

8:48 am
Pistorius confirms that there was a burglary at one of his homes, but not the Silver Woods home where he killed Reeva (except police stealing his watches)

Pistorius said that there were several increased security measures.

He confirms that he felt it was safe enough to leave his cars outside and not in his garage.

8:46 am
Nel says he has been a victim of crime but never had the crime recorded.

8:45 am
Nel asks him if he has been so exposed to crime why didn't he ever report it?

Pistorius said he didn't report a burglary because he was away at the time and didn't have insurance.

When he was shot on the highway he didn't think police could do anything about it.

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

9:02 am
Nel says that he is tailoring his evidence and giving an answer that is nonsensical.

He said that he didn't give any evidence about anybody working on his alarm in February 2013.

Pistorius says: "If I didn't then I didn't"

Nel tells him it isn't that easy.

Pistorius says he doesn't know why it didn't come up earlier.

He says we're adding it to the list of Mr Roux's mistakes.

9:00 am
Nel is accusing Pistorius of tailoring his evidence with regard to contractors removing sensors to paint his house.

Pistorius says he is unsure if sensors were removed when his house was painted in 2013.

8:57 am
Nel goes back to the possibility that sensors were removed from the wall.

Pistorius said that he didn't check if they were removed.

Nel says he will show him that he has changed his evidence about the alarm.

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

9:14 am
Nel says that with the alarm on people would not be able to get into the house without it activating.

Pistorius says that is correct. But he said at that point he didn't even think about the alarm.

Nel said that if one of the beams didn't work, it would say so on the system. But there was no such indication.

9:13 am
She pushes him on if he is too tired to continue telling him it is not fair to him if he is too tired to continue.

Pistorius says he didn't make the mistake because he was tired.

Nel asks why he is making mistakes. He didn't answer directly. Nel accuses him of covering up and tailoring his evidence.

Pistorius continues saying that it would make sense that he switched the alarm off before leaving the room.

9:11 am
Nel asks him if he is tired and wants time.

Pistorius starts getting emotional. "I am tired... I made a mistake and I've admitted making a mistake."

Nel: "With respect, Mr Pistorius, I'm not convinced about you answer now. I think you're trying to cover up for lies."

The judge tells Pistorius that he should be "all here" when he is in the witness box.

Pistorius says he is tired and made a mistake with the way he answered the question.

9:09 am
Again Nel tells him he is tailoring evidence again.

Pistorius says he must have made a mistake.

Nel accuses him of changes his answers to respond to his questions.

Pistorius: "I'm tired my lady, I'm sorry if I got the wrong word. I must have switched my alarm off... it only makes sense to me that I switched the alarm off."

9:07 am
When did he de-activate the alarm the night of the shooting?

He says he did it before he opened the bedroom door and went downstairs to open the front door.

He called Mr Stander and phoned 911. "In that process you still remember to deactivate the alarm."

He said that he doesn't remember deactivating the alarm, he remembers getting the keys to run downstairs. Nel says he did not mention switching the alarm off in his evidence.

9:05 am
Nel says Roux wouldn't make such a mistake.

So in 2010 all the sensors were taken off the wall. "Being security conscious you checked the full alarm after that?"

Pistorius said that someone came to check that the system was working.

Nel confirms with Pistorius that he was confident that his alarm was working 100%.

Nel says in 2013 that he did not know of any malfunction of his alarm. Pistorius agrees, saying that sometimes the battery would run out or it would go off in the middle of the evening: "But I wasn't aware of any malfunction."

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

9:23 am
Nel says: "And you did nothing?" He asks if they were in an altercation.

Pistorius says not.

Nel: "You were driving on the highway, you've used that stretch of road. It's a busy stretch of road. So in all probability there would have been other vehicles on the road... and without any reason this black Mercedes drove in front of you."

Pistorius said that yes in all probability there were other cars but he was more concerned by the situation.

He said he could hear a bang noise and saw a reddish-whitish explosion.

9:20 am
Nel asks if the open balcony door bothered him.

He says it didn't.

Nel returns to the highway incident when a car came up behind him and he pulled over. A black Mercedes passed him then slowed down and he saw a muzzle flash from the back of the vehicle.

He took the next turn-off and parked at a place where there was a lot of people. He says it was late in the evening, around 10pm.

9:18 am
Three bedrooms lead onto a lounge and there was no alarm there.

9:18 am
Pistorius says he doesn't remember speaking to the builder about the alarm system.

Nel asks him if he left the bedroom would he set the alarm off.

Pistorius says that the first beacon is upstairs at the top of the stairs.

9:16 am
Pistorius says there were no sensors on the doors or windows.

Nel repeats that if the alarm system was functioning nobody would be able to get in.

Pistorius says that if all the beacons were on the wall then that is correct.

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

9:30 am
Pistorius's version is that he left his car there.

"How did you get it back?"

Pistorius said he can't remember.

Nel says it is a serious incident and someone could have died. "Why didn't you report it to the police?"

Pistorius: "I could not see what possibly they could do about it."

Pistorius did not have trust in the police. Nel is talking about his father's interview about the family's possession of guns.

9:28 am
He went to Rhapsody's restaurant at a shopping centre where he called for someone to pick him up and take him home.

He waited outside.

Nel grows angry when Pistorius says that he can't remember who he called to pick him up.

He is talking about the improbabilities of him being unable to remember who he phoned and that his counsel wouldn't ask.

Nel says that he can't remember because it never happened.

Nel: "You remember exactly where you turned left, where you turned right, but you don't remember who you called. You don't want anyone to check up on it." He adds that this is because it's not true.

9:25 am
Nel says: "you're not that tired, you're keeping up with my mistakes." after he asked if he heard a muzzle flash rather than seeing one.

Pistorius says it could not have been a camera flash because he heard a noise.

He says he doesn't know why it happened. He wanted to get away, sped up extremely quickly and didn't have time to make a phone call. He was checking his mirror.

He said the incident was in 2008/09 some time.

9:23 am
Nel says: "And you did nothing?" He asks if they were in an altercation.

Pistorius says not.

Nel: "You were driving on the highway, you've used that stretch of road. It's a busy stretch of road. So in all probability there would have been other vehicles on the road... and without any reason this black Mercedes drove in front of you."

Pistorius said that yes in all probability there were other cars but he was more concerned by the situation.

He said he could hear a bang noise and saw a reddish-whitish explosion.

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

9:31 am
Pistorius said that he doesn't read newspapers.

9:31 am
Pistorius says he has no idea what his father said in the media about the ownership of guns.

He said that in 2008 he didn't trust police to do something about the incident.

Nel asks if it's the same for the burglary - Pistorius says "possibly"

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

9:44 am
Pistorius says he doesn't know who assaulted him. He didn't report it.

The situation was defused at the Hawks.

9:43 am
Pistorius claimed that Batchelor had faced "many assault charges".

9:42 am
Speaking about the incident with ex-footballer Mark Batchelor, Pistorius denies saying "I'll break your f****** legs."

Pistorius said he would never threaten to do such a thing.

Nel says he never reported it at the police station.

Divaris arranged a meeting with a senior police officer. Batchelor brought a lawyer with him.

9:40 am
Taylor was upset at the incident with Pistorius. She defended Van der Bergh.

He said that they got into an argument about it and he called off their relationship.

He packed her bag and gave her the keys to his Jeep.

9:37 am
Nel asks who else was there. There was Divaris, Lerena and Fresco. He said that if any of them said that he approached aggressively, they would be lying.

"that's correct my lady."

Pistorius received a legal letter from Mr Van Der Bergh.

9:35 am
Nel has moved onto the 2012 incident where Pistorius said he was assaulted.

Pistorius saw Quinton van der Burgh at a Daytona event and they argued about his ex Samantha Taylor.

Mr Van Der Bergh took Sam Taylor overseas while Pistorius was at the Olympics.

9:33 am
Nel says he doesn't know who picked him up from Rhapsody's.

His father said that police failed to protect civilians. Nel suggests that Pistorius shares the same view.

Henke Pistorius said the family's gun arsenal "speaks to the ANC government, look at white crime levels, why protection is so poor in this country."

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

9:51 am
Nel says the light isn't the reason he woke up.

Pistorius said it was because he was warm and couldn't sleep.

He covered it up as he turned back to the fans and saw the blue light was on.

9:50 am
Pistorius said he could see the silhouette of the jeans on the floor, about a metre away from the amp.

Nel asks if it's bothered him in the past.

Pistorius said it had bothered him before and he covered it in the past.

Nel asks him if he had ever taken steps to cover it permanently.

9:49 am
Nel returns to the scene and the two fans.

Pistorius says that he placed the fans on the door, covered the amplifier light and then heard the noise coming from the bathroom.

He said he wanted to cover the light because it was distracting. He said he was trying to sleep and if there was a light on it would bother him in his sleep.

Nel says it must illuminate an area.

Pistorius says it wouldn't illuminate the area.

9:47 am
Nel tells him that for a man like him it would have been better for him to leave.

Pistorius says that he had his firearm but didn't use it.

Nel says he was looking for trouble by approaching Batchelor.

Pistorius: "I was trying to diffuse the situation."

Nel says his version of events is not true.

9:45 am
Nel tells him that for a man like him it would have been better for him to leave.

Pistorius says that he had his firearm but didn't use it.

Nel says he was looking for trouble by approaching Batchelor.

Pistorius: "I was trying to diffuse the situation."

Nel says his version of events is not true.

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

9:56 am
We return to the fans.

Pistorius says the little fan was to the right of the big fan in the picture.



Andy Stenning / Daily Mirror Evidence pictures released from Pretoria Court taken on 14 Feb 2013 of Oscar Pistorius' main bedroom
Evidence pictures released from Pretoria Court taken on 14 Feb 2013 of Oscar Pistorius' main bedroom

9:54 am
A picture is shown to the court of the duvet and jeans on the floor.

Pistorius says that looking at the amplifier it is to the left in the middle of a button.

He wanted to drape the jeans over the button.

9:52 am
Pistorius said he doesn't remember if he actually covered it because that's when he heard the noise.

He said he had picked the jeans up and was in the process of covering the light.

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

9:58 am
Pistorius sounds frustrated as he corrects Nel.

He said the jeans were more or less where they appear in the picture.

Pistorius said he then heard the window sliding open. He confirms he didn't hear Reeva get up.

He said that the fans were on but he could still hear the window open. It would have been louder than anybody getting out of bed.

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

10:11 am
And we have adjourned for tea.

When they come back there will be a larger picture showing the jeans and the duvet.

10:10 am
Roux says that the jeans weren't on top of the duvet. He says it is unfair to say the jeans were on top when there is no evidence of it.

Nel says it isn't an inadmissible question.

The judge is telling Nel to mind his language. "You don't call a witness a liar, not while he is in the witness box."

10:08 am
Nel: "Why would police do that? You're lying."

Roux intervenes saying that there could be deception because of the angle that picture was taken.

10:07 am
Pistorius says that the denim must have been viewed as well.

Nel: "Why would the police do that? Why would the police handle the denim and put it onto the duvet?"

Pistorius says he can't answer that.

Nel says he is keeping a list

Police opened the windows
moved the fans
switched the light on
put the duvet on the floor
ensure the denim was on top of the duvet

10:05 am
Pistorius confirms that duvet wasn't where he left it but the jeans were roughly in the right area.

Nel repeats police must have moved the fans and put the duvet on the floor. The way the police picture is, Pistorius's version can't be true.

The denim is lying ON the duvet.

10:03 am
Pistorius: "My whole being was focused on this person in the bathroom."

10:00 am
He said he whispered to Reeva to call the police "I said it in a soft tone".

He didn't look to the bed. "I kept my eyes on the passage."

Nel is asking why he didn't check what he heard with Reeva. Pistorius said he was sure of what he heard.

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

5 minutes before scheduled tea-break... Roux steps in and offers to "assist Mr Nel...."


By asking for an early Tea-break for him!!!!

Roux: Just for Mr Nel...... tea-break

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

10:36 am
This is the picture they are now looking at.

Nel says it shows a corner of the duvet under the jeans.

He is pointing out the label that looks to be a similar colour to the duvet.

10:34 am
The court has returned after the tea break.

Two photographs are going to be shown to the court.

They will show the position of the jeans in relation to the duvet.

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

10:40 am
Roux says it can't be put as a fact.

It is about interpretation.

The judge says from the photographs it looks as though the denim is on top.

10:39 am
Here's the jeans from a different angle.

Nel says that the label is visible, and so is the corner of the jeans.

He says the photo makes it clear that the jeans are on the duvet.

Roux says he doesn't see it that way.

_________________
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

Fact is the damned cops moved stuff.

I bet they spread out duvet to take photo.

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

10:48 am
His legs were lying flat on the floor between the bed and the fan.

He said he also puts items of clothing on his legs when he is at the track as well.

10:47 am
Nel is saying that if he pulled the fan to where he said he did, the plugs would have moved.

The grey item was on top of his prosthetic legs. When he put them on he threw the shirt to where it landed.

Pistorius said he usually puts clothing on his prosthetic legs.

10:46 am
It's important to remember that Pistorius said that the duvet was on the bed when he went to the bathroom.

Nel now turns to the iPad and the iPad cover.

Pistorius confirms that it is the iPad that they used.

10:44 am
Up until today Pistorius said he doesn't know where he thought the jeans were. He used the pictures as a source of reference.

He said that when he looked at the photograph all he saw was inconsistencies.

During yesterday's pictures he said it didn't cross his mind whether the jeans were next to the duvet.

This is the picture they are talking about:

10:42 am
Nel says "it will create a problem for your version."

Pistorius said that would create a difficulty in his version, but he cannot say that it does.

Nel says that if he dropped it there then his version doesn't make sense at all.

10:41 am
Pistorius agrees that from the angle of the picture it looks as though the jeans are on the duvet.

He said that the colonel's evidence was that the jeans were next to the duvet.

He said that he understood that from Mr Roux's representations.

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

10:53 am
Nel says he is keeping quiet because Pistorius is clearly in distress.

The judge says she understands.

We have a short adjournment.

10:53 am
Nel says he can't remember knocking the fans "because it never happened."

Pistorius says after shooting Reeva he can't remember a lot of things.

Nel asks him if he's okay. "You're not emotional".

Pistorius says he is "because this is the night I lost the person I cared about. I don't know why people don't understand that."

10:51 am
Pistorius insists that the fans weren't there. He ran back to the bathroom as quickly as he could.

If it was in his way he would have knocked it out of the way.

Nel says the opposite is true. He would have to get it out of the way to put on his prosthesis.

Pistorius says that he would have knocked it over or bumped it while putting his prosthesis on because he has to stretch his legs out.

10:49 am
He says he doesn't remember if the fan was in his way. He remembers opening the door but doesn't remember where the fans were.

Nel saying it would have been in his way.

Pistorius says he can't remember knocking the fans over. He doesn't remember anything else about the fans on the night.

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