Elizabeth HagedornOlympian Oscar Pistorius was back in court Wednesday. This time, another witness testified he heard screams the night the track star shot his girlfriend.
Prosecutors say Pistorius deliberately killed his girlfriend on Valentine's Day last year. Pistorius did admit to killing Reeva Steenkamp but says says he mistook her for an intruder when he shot her through the locked bathroom door of his home. On Monday, he pleaded not guilty on murder charges. (Via ABC, CBS)
On the witness stand Wednesday was a neighbor of Pistorius who says he heard screams and gunshots the night Pistorius killed Steenkamp. That neighbor's wife also testified earlier this week. (Via ENCA)
Defense attorneys are trying to discredit their testimony — arguing the husband and wife must have compared notes before coming to court. The defense also says those shots the neighbors heard could have actually been noise from the bat Pistorius used to open the door and help his girlfriend.
“You can sigh as you sit there those noises I assume did not come from someone taking a cricket bat — or don't you know?”
“My lady, I'm certain I heard gunshots.” (Via HLN)
Another key witness —professional boxer Kevin Lerena — told the jury Wednesday Pistorius once asked him to take the fall for accidentally discharging his gun at a restaurant. (Via The Independent)
Lerena said that Pistorius had immediately apologized to everyone in the restaurant but then asked him to take the blame.
"I remember he said please take the blame for me. There's too much media attention around me." (Via Channel 4)
“What the prosecution is doing here is building a picture of Oscar Pistorius’ character, in essence saying, that he wanted a friend to lie to cover up for him, to cover up a criminal act.” (Via CNN)
The trial is scheduled to last three weeks, though it could go much longer with 107 witnesses expected to testify.
