Pistorius - another hero bites the dust

[David Johnson]

Obviously, it is early days, but it ain't looking very good for the worldwide hero that is Oscar Pistorius.

Apparently his defence is that his girlfriend was staying with him. He woke up in the night; thought that he heard an intruder; didn't check if his girlfriend was still in bed or not; started firing through a door and to his horror found out that it was his girlfriend. Err!

The police say they have a local witness who has stated they heard arguments, shouting and screaming before the bullets were fired. When the police turned up at the house, an hour or so after the shooting, Pistorius already had his lawyer and brother present.

On top of that, the police announced today that they found testosterone and needles in the house - a banned substance for athletes.

Another worldwide hero bites the dust!

[andy at handiwork]

I long thought that victorious athletes and sports people should have to wait a few years before getting a nation's admiration, just to allow any murky stuff or later failure to emerge.

[trillery]

A pretty unfair, biased and prejudiced post by David Johnson, not mentioning for example that the defence said it was not testosterone found at Pistorius?s house, but a herbal remedy. Not mentioning either that the witness has already been proven wrong on one count - the number of bullets fired.

[Gentleman]

Regarding his defence.

[David Johnson]

" A pretty unfair, biased and prejudiced post by David Johnson"

Not at all.

I reported what Pistorius defence was,

I reported what the police had stated. I posted that it didn't look good which it doesn't even if you just consider Pistorius's defence which comes across to me as very unlikely.

I did not know at the time I posted that his defence had denied that it was testosterone.

I did however, state that it is "early days"

[Arginald Valleywater]

Victim already cremated, no chance of any more forensics.....prosecution must think the defence has no chance. Is Robben Island still open?

[Sam Slater]

Nothing adds up (from the information at hand). She had her top and shorts on. If she was on the toilet wouldn't they be round her ankles? It's also the South African summer and it was hot enough for the balcony doors to be open. Why sleep in a top and shorts in such if it was that warm?

Then there's the obvious: if you hear someone in your house don't you at least turn to your missus and ask them if they heard the same thing you did? Surely she must have gone to the toilet numerous times upon numerous nights in the past when he may have been half asleep and was woken up by her movement or noise. Hearing late night noises in the bathroom when you have your girlfriend stopping over is hardly unusual.

And do young couples who've been together for quite a while lock the bathroom door in the middle of the night when taking a leak?

Having said that, he does look genuinely mortified. My guess (and that's all it can be: a guess) is that they argued, he got mad and got his gun. She ran and locked herself in the bathroom and he fired through the door in a fit of rage. He might not have wanted to kill her but in that split second made the decision to fire and was horrified at actually hitting her and killing her.

Two lives ruined because one couldn't keep his emotions in check. Shame.

And yet another life lost through an incident caused by a gun merely there for 'protection'.

[David Johnson]

Agree entirely. I find it utterly unbelievable that someone sleeping with their girlfriend, would not first check that the "sound of an intruder" is not in fact, their girlfriend and shoot through a door.

The likeliest explanation to me is that he completely lost his temper and in that split second did something he will genuinely regret for the rest of his life.

[Alex L]

It looks like the Boers are sticking together on this one:



"Mr Malila said it was alleged that while driving a state-owned vehicle the three had opened fire on a minibus taxi loaded with passengers."

...and if you have been there you will know that the Boers do not use minibus taxis.

Looks like a good answer as to why the police statements regarding Pistorius have been so contradictory.

[David Johnson]

Yep, none of this is doing any favours for the South African legal system.

It's more circus or TV potboiler than court at the moment.