Oscar Pistorious reaching for a bucket in Court
PRETORIA, South Africa – Clutching a white handkerchief in his fingers, Oscar Pistorius tried to cover his ears and threw up.
The Paralympian gagged and heaved with
sobs, as forensic pathologist Gert Saayman detailed the injuries he inflicted
on his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, in the pre-dawn hours of Valentine's morning
last year.
Hunched over a plastic bucket in the
dock, the murder-accused vomited repeatedly, as Saayman read his 12-page
matter-of-fact autopsy report, paragraph by paragraph.
Concerned about Pistorius' state, Judge
Thokozile Masipa initially called for a brief adjournment to allow the athlete
to gather himself. But when court reconvened, it became evident that his
emotional upheaval was not a passing episode.
"Is your client fine?" Judge
Masipa asked defense counsel Barry Roux.
"He's not fine, my lady," he
replied. "He is very emotional and that isn't going to change."

Oscar Pistorious and Reeva Stenkamp in a party in 2012
Baba was challenged by the defense
about his recollection of Valentine's morning, with Roux presenting phone
records to the court that suggest Pistorius called Baba first. Roux says
Pistorius told Baba "he" was fine, rather than speaking about the
situation as a whole.
Saayman's testimony followed, as the
court tried to focus on the evidence presented, not the audibly retching figure
in the dock.
The pathologist requested a court order
– granted by the judge – preventing the live broadcast of his testimony, citing
ethical concerns that the unfiltered broadcast of explicit and graphic evidence
would not respect the dignity of Steenkamp. Judge Masipa chose to also restrict
live reporting via Twitter and online blogs.
The bullets that killed Steenkamp were
"designed to cause maximum tissue damage," Saayman told the court,
"mushrooming" on their path after initial contact with human tissue.
A "Black Talon" bullet, which Saayman explained as expanding like
sharp, jagged petals of a flower, was recovered from Steenkamp's head wound.
"It is what nightmares are made
of," prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the judge. Read more...
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