Oscar Pistorius murder trial: Five things we learned from day 12
Mar 18, 2014 16:05
By Sam Chadderton

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news ... ve-3256925

1. Oscar Pistorius was PROBABLY on his stumps when he fired the fatal shots.

2. Pistorius's defence lawyer Barry Roux suggests police tampered with evidence

3. Oscar seemingly cannot face the evidence of Reeva's killing

4. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel likes a tea-break - but Judge Masipa has had enough of time-wasting

5. Different jurisdictions, different rules

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

Is this current witness a good witness though?

I don't think so, and he's getting angry.

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Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

I thought he did well for Nel... but he lost it when Roux got under his skin.

I think all these witnesses are biased..... maybe state witnesses always are... but I think it goes further than normal... they actually have avoided tests that might help defence... and I suspect even suppressed findings (eg tests of cricket bat marks higher up the door.

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

Absolutely, and he stated himself he [Mangena] would not be moved on his findings, talking back to Nel now. I think they all believe OP meant to kill Reeva - end of.

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

I would not like to be on trial for my life in SA - I've learned that much this week.

Well Capt. Mengena seems happy with his evidence.



the prosecution 'displace the photo album' need five mins - oh really.

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

It wasn't lost... Nel had already entered it

Just a cunning Nel trick to get a Tea Break


When the next witness says house... it sounds like "arse"

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

The arterial spurt of blood from above, could easily IMO have come when he was running down the stairs with Reeva in his arms causing the stains in the lounge. Colonel Van Der Nest seems to come across as a very assertive witness. I'm reading some of the tweets from in court reporters. One is very funny, it's from a woman who attended varsity with Van Der Nest and another tweeting reporter - she says, 'I attended varsity with Van Der Nest he was a naughty bastard, so were you Barry LOL

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

I've put kettle on for coffee break too - still in my dressing gown although it's 0920 Wed haha

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

I am on a Red Bull drip


I think the arterial spurt destroys a lot of Lynch Mob theories about bloody encounter downstairs.

I wonder if it also explains blood spots near bed? We'll have to wait to find out because friggin Nel wants a tea break!!!!!
He had a friggin break before this witness... he should have gone then!! (for a cup of tea)

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

I agree and I think I should get some red bull in, almost bought a few at the supermarket yesterday.

I think the blood found elsewhere in the house, me not an experet, but I think it's transfer blood, although I suppose you could put them arguing downstairs, perhaps then running away from OP and locking herself in the bathroom - unfortunately, she is our main witness, so it's up to forensics and all encompassing experts who, if they do their respective jobs right, will speak for her.

We just have to wait and see.

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

NOTE
No evidence of 'blunt force trauma' anywhere.

No mention of blood spots above bed or on Duvet

All blood spots downstairs from arterial spurts.


So.... all Mob theories out the window

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

Yes I agree with you totally, nothing about the bed etc. mentioned. No disputing Van Der Nest's evidence from Roux.

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

Well I guess there was nothing to cross-examine this last witness hmm. So now we have the Prosecution postponing until Monday morning at 0950 as they have only 4 more witnesses to call in an effort to wind up their case.

Long weekend until the 24th, I wonder sometimes as I've watched this trial if the Prosecution was in fact after almost a year, ready to bring this case to trial - this is my impression - or just that I'm not used to this request for more time off in order to prepare their case?????

I must look around the net to see if any of the other cases I'm interested in are at trial until Monday LOL

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

I don't think the prosecution have much of a case.

I get the impression that Nel is NOT a fireball. I imagine he works short days with lots of tea breaks normally

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

I don't think the Judge should put up with all this unprepared stuff... ongoing every day.... and should have refused this silly request from Nel. He is basically saying he wants to CHANGE his case having heard some of the defence case during cross examinations... THAT should not be allowed. Grounds for appeal even. Ridiculous certainly.

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

Absoalutely, now if you look at it differently, the Judge said she thought this was fair enough, so had no objections. Does this sound like a judge who is going to return a not-guilty verdict.

As we say in Scotland ' I hay ma doobts '

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

Och Aye, Lassie!

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

I guess the Judge has to let Nel faff about as much as he wants... so he has nothing to complain about (appeal) when he loses

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

I was going to follow the Amanda Hayes case, so now all I'll do is catch up.

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

I just logged on, contemplating last night at the trial, before I read what others have said....

It seems highly irregular to me for a Prosecution to claim time to reorganise his case in the light of testimony by his own witnesses. One assume in the light of hearing Roux's cross examination and hints of what the defence case is. More than irregular I would say. I would think outside the rules?
Nel generally is less than organised, and he has had time to prepare for this case.

It also seems that some of the "evidence" that the State has introduced is no more than unproven innuendo tantamount to Gossip a la some poster at a True Gossip Forum.

Nel introduced testimony about "blood spots" on Duvet and on wall by bed... yet blood spatter guy did not mention them at all, not even that they existed. For all we know they were not blood at all. To me that is highly shonky...
Also the damage to the bedroom door. A hole presented as (and assumed to be) a bullet hole, yet no mention that it existed,let alone analysis from ballistics guy. No further explanation of lower door damage... unless more is to come... just gossip in the hope of eliciting unfounded speculation by the judge.
The iPad stuff? WTF was that? Nothing worth noting really.

Overall this has been a slow drawn out presentation which barely addresses the main point of the case... was OP lying about believing there was an intruder.

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