Pistorius Trial: Was Model's Death Mistake or Murder?

"On the 13th of February 2013 Reeva would have gone out with her friends and I with my friends. Reeva then called me and asked that we rather spend the evening at home. I agreed and we were • Oscar Pistorius content to have a quiet dinner together at home. • Reeva Steenkamp By about 22h00 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." "After Reeva finished her yoga exercises she got into bed and we both fell asleep." *...I kept my firearm, a 9 mm Parbellum, underneath my bed when I went to bed at night." "...I woke up, went onto the balcony to bring the fan in, . "... and closed the sliding doors, blinds and curtains. I heard a noise in the bathroom and realised that somone 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...." ..Theard movement inside the toilet. The toilet is inside the bathroom and has a separate door. "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. She did not respond and I moved backwards out of the bathroom, keeping my eyes on the bathroom entrance." "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 into the bathroom and tried to kick the toilet door open. I thinkI must have then 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 who was involved in the administration of the estate and asked him to phone the ambulance. I phoned Netcare and asked for help. "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 the 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." "With the benefit of hindsight I believe that Reeva went to the toilet when I went out on the balcony to bring the fan in."