Oscar Pistorius Trial: Week 7, Friday 9 May 2014

Ballistics expert, Thomas “Wollie” Wolmarans continues with his testimony in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial at the High Court in Pretoria.

Wolmarans is the defence’s 11th witness and the third expert to testify.

Wolmarans has told the court that it was impossible to accurately determine the sequence of the shots and Steenkamp’s body position when Pistorius shot her through the toilet door.

The former forensic policeman says the reconstruction of the crime scene could also not accurately determine the deceased’s position behind the door.

Wolmarans testified that based on the injuries Steenkamp sustained from the secondary wood splinter projectiles, she had to be between six and 20 centimeters from the door when she was hit.

An Anaesthetist, Professor Christina Lundgren testified that Steenkamp had eaten a meal of chicken stir fry eight hours before she was shot, contradicting the state pathologist who said she had eaten two hours before the shooting.

A social worker, Yvette van Schalkwyk told the court that Pistorius is a heart-broken man and had suffered serious emotional breakdown for losing someone he loved.

Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to four charges, including the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s day last year.

– By