Oscar Pistorius Trial

[skinz]

What's all this 'my lady' malarky? He's talking back to a bloke for gods sake.

 

He isn't, he's talking back to or addressing the court. If the figurehead is a male then "My Lord" would be appropriate. As the figurehead is a "Lady"...well there you go.

[blake]

clearly a big story and probably covered more in Britain than most places elsewhere. South Africa is a former British colony and the proceedings are being conducted in the English language.

 

it is very unlikely that there would be a woman judge in a massive murder trial like this in Britain. South African judiciary is quite interesting, they were the branch of government least in thrall to apartheid in those days. And they have not seen fit to reintroduce trial by jury, abolished in 1969 during the high tide of the apartheid years. I will be very surprised if he walks away from the dock at the end of this trial, even if he has not forgotten to bring his blades along to the verdict.

[Mr Gobby]

Already given. Keep up.

 

Really. I didn’t take that much notice, more interesting comments to read TBH.

[skinz]

Really. I didn’t take that much notice, more interesting comments to read TBH.

 

Awww, your sensitivities got hurt, bless.

[Halibut]

I'll admit, I think he thought they were fun, a game. He didn't consider the consequences. But I think his account of believing it was an intruder in that room is true. I think he probably thought that if the intruder left that room then he & Reeva were under threat. I don't think he & Reeva rowed & he decided to murder her in cold blood.

 

The very first thing any person who's sharing their bed with a spouse or partner will do on hearing a strange or frightening noise in the night is turn to that person and say 'Did you hear that?' or 'What's that noise?'

His account is utterly unbelievable.

 

I think the truth is that they rowed and he lost it and fired through that door knowing full well she was on the other side of it. Maybe she was threatening to leave him, but it matters not.

[skinz]

She'd probably be alive today if guns weren't readily available, regardless of his intent.

[blake]

guns are available everywhere in South Africa and cheaply more even than in the USA probably.

 

unlike most Oscar did have a license for the gun and when he applied for it he did agree that he understood that it is illegal to fire a gun at somebody unless you are directly threatened. And nobody is directly threatened by somebody, whoever it is, who is on the other side of a bathroom cubicle.

 

all the theater and tears would have been a lot likelier to work in Oscar's favour if it was a jury trial. It is like he is playing to the jury, trouble is there isn't any jury there. The judge and two lay assessors are all legal experts and unlike a jury, have been through numerous trials of this sort before. South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world. They are not likely to let emotion get the better of their judgement like a jury might.

Edited April 14, 2014 by blake

[Sam71]

I am getting a little annoyed at his whiney voice now.............. every time I turn the news on he is there whining !!! Has his voice actually "broken" yet?

[Guest]

 

I think the truth is that they rowed and he lost it and fired through that door knowing full well she was on the other side of it. Maybe she was threatening to leave him, but it matters not.

 

That's my feeling too, but thinking about it I imagine shooting to kill someone through a toilet door with the intention of trying to claim it was an accident would be easier said than done, it would be a very risky thing to do, it could go wrong very easily; imagine firing a couple of shots that turned out not to be fatal or even missed completely, the victim is likely to react by ducking down in the corner or get tight up to the wall or something, this would probably force the shooter to open the door and enter the toilet to finish the victim off which would ruin the plan completely because it would be clear from the trajectory of fatal bullet wounds plus the obvious disparity between bullet holes in the door and holes in the victim.

[*_ash_*]

I'll admit, I think he thought they were fun, a game. He didn't consider the consequences. But I think his account of believing it was an intruder in that room is true. I think he probably thought that if the intruder left that room then he & Reeva were under threat. I don't think he & Reeva rowed & he decided to murder her in cold blood.

 

Did you watch this morning? Nel tore him apart. His story was rubbish, and I noticed that whenever his story starts to unravel, he conveniently turns on the water works.