Yes, I admit he was reckless and dangerous, but South Africa is a dangerous country. I don't agree that he should go to prison though if it is decided that it was an accident. Remorse is perhaps the most painful and lasting emotion that the human brain can conjure up.
Yes, I admit he was reckless and dangerous, but South Africa is a dangerous country. I don't agree that he should go to prison though if it is decided that it was an accident. Remorse is perhaps the most painful and lasting emotion that the human brain can conjure up.
He's taken a young woman's life. He should go to prison whether it's accidental or not. He can be remorseful in prison.
He heard a noise and thought it was an intuder, but didnt think to warn, nor check the safety of his girlfriend of whom he was "deeply in love" with?. Seeing as by his own admission he had to go to the bed to get his firearm, he didnt check where this "much loved" woman was?.
He heard a noise and thought it was an intuder, but didnt think to warn, nor check the safety of his girlfriend of whom he was "deeply in love" with?. Seeing as by his own admission he had to go to the bed to get his firearm, he didnt check where this "much loved" woman was?.
That's about it. And then, having not checked the whereabouts or safety of his beloved girlfriend, he fired four shots through the bathroom door, also forgetting to first call out "who's there?" or "darling, is that you?" and wait for a response.
He heard a noise and thought it was an intuder, but didnt think to warn, nor check the safety of his girlfriend of whom he was "deeply in love" with?. Seeing as by his own admission he had to go to the bed to get his firearm, he didnt check where this "much loved" woman was?.
Well, according to some here his actions seem reasonable, but I simply smell total BS.
I dare anyone here to admit that there first thought on thinking that an intruder was in your home would be anything other than ensuring the safety of their loved ones!.
He saw she was asleep when he went to get the fan, so assumed she was still there when he got his gun, strapped on his legs after hearing noises in the bathroom...
Nope, sounds ludicrous while I type it.
He didn't even see her when he went for the fan - in his testimony he only mentions at the end he realised she wasn't there. If he'd said he'd seen her when he got up then maybe although if I was here I'd still have probably said 'what are you doing up?' given it was 3am.
His story simply doesnt make sense . No one in their right mind shoots through a bathroom door that is attached to the bedroom you share with a partner without bellowing out to make sure its not the partner in there .
He cant argue being half asleep as he was alread awake enough to get the fan and shut the balacony and the curtains and get his gun .So he was wide awake , hears a noise in the bathroom he shares with his girlfriend and blasts her to death without checking and being sure it wasnt her ?
I dont buy that , I dont care how stressed he was , he either knew it was her or he was so damn reckless and careless and daft he didnt even check . One is murder and the other is also a crime IMO .
Totally agree.However you look at it he deserves to go to jail for a long time.
You only need to spend five seconds looking at the floor plan to see that his story doesn't add up.
So his claim is that he heard a noise coming from the bathroom and he thought he was in danger. Look at the plan. The bathroom is around a corner and down a narrow passageway from the bedroom. Given the floor plan, from the bedroom, you would have no way to know that the "intruder" was actually inside the toilet cubicle. They could be anywhere in the bathroom at all. If you heard a suspicious noise from the bathroom the absolute last thing you would do is head into that narrow passageway, you'd be a sitting duck for the "intruder" who could be anywhere in the bathroom to take you out as you entered the corridor. The only sensible thing to do would be to either stay in the bedroom keeping your gun trained on the bathroom exit corridor ready to deal with the "intruder" as they emerged down the corridor, or even better just go hide somewhere else in the house and call the cops/security.
Astonishing that people are believing his story at all.
Anyway, put aside for a moment that the unfortunate victim was his girlfriend, it really doesn't matter who it was, fact is that even by his own account of the incident, he shot and killed a person without any reasonable check to find out who that person was or whether they were a danger to him or not.
The Paralympian is accused of murdering Miss Steenkamp, his girlfriend of four months, firing his gun at her four times. Pistorius has claimed that he shot Miss Steenkamp by mistake, believing her to be an intruder.
In one extraordinary exchange towards the end of Mr Botha's testimony, Magistrate Desmond Nair confronted the detective over the likelihood that Pistorius, one of the most famous athletes in the world, would flee the country if he were granted bail.
"Can I just say, the accused before court is an international athlete, paralympic athlete, he uses prosthesis on both legs. I'm sure we would both agree that his face is widely recognised internationally," he told investigating officer Hilton Botha. "Do you subjectively believe that he would take the opportunity, being who he is, using prosthesics to get around, to flee South Africa?"
Mr Botha replied "yes", to laughter in the court and a raised eyebrow from the magistrate.
"I believe for someone facing 15 years to life, I would make a plan to get out and go somewhere, with the finances he has," the officer, who has 24 years experience on the force, added.
Mr Nair continued: "But do you think it's possible that a person who has won Olympic golds would want to forsake his career when he has a chance to prove his innocence in a court of law?"
"Your honour, imprisonment is no joke," Mr Botha replied.
According to this report in the Telegraph - it appears the magistrate may grant bail. If at the trial he is aquitted, of murder, how will this affect his standing in the Athletic community, amongst his peers and fans. Will it change their opinion of him? Will sponsors wish to put his name against their products? Will his life ever go back to what it was?
Anyway, put aside for a moment that the unfortunate victim was his girlfriend, it really doesn't matter who it was, fact is that even by his own account of the incident, he shot and killed a person without any reasonable check to find out who that person was or whether they were a danger to him or not.
No it certainly isn't. I sure think he's guilty as hell and i hope he does not get bail. He deserves to be locked away for the rest of his life.
However, by the time the real trial starts, there may be social or politically expedient reasons to get him off on a technicality. I've already read reports of attempts to discredit the investigating officers, their evidence and especially the initial crime scene entry... and given the state of SA today, and an apparently ineffective police force, it wouldn't surprise me if for one reason or another, he ends up not doing much time at all (even if it wasn't an accident)).
He heard a noise and thought it was an intuder, but didnt think to warn, nor check the safety of his girlfriend of whom he was "deeply in love" with?. Seeing as by his own admission he had to go to the bed to get his firearm, he didnt check where this "much loved" woman was?.
Hmm, and so there was enough light or him to see his (presumably relatively small) gun, but it was too dark or him to notice that his (much bigger) girlfriend was not in the bed! :rolleyes:
Well, according to some here his actions seem reasonable, but I simply smell total BS.
I dare anyone here to admit that there first thought on thinking that an intruder was in your home would be anything other than ensuring the safety of their loved ones!.
It all depends on the circumstances.
If you're in bed at 3am and get up (knowing your partner is sleeping next to you) to go close a window across the bedroom.. where do you think your partner is while your back is turned? In bed.
You then hear a noise in your bathroom that's around a corner from the bedroom, having not heard nor observed any movement from the bed. Where do you think your partner is?
I think if people say it's not realistic for him to conclude she was still in bed.. then they're viewing this from hind sight. But I can accept that someone who knew their partner was in bed before they got up to close a window would naturally feel confident they were still in bed when they'd finished closing the window.
However, by the time the real trial starts, there may be social or politically expedient reasons to get him off on a technical loophole. I've already read reports of attempts to discredit the investigating officer... and given the state of lawlessness in SA, nothing would surprise me.
According to this report in the Telegraph - it appears the magistrate may grant bail. If at the trial he is aquitted, of murder, how will this affect his standing in the Athletic community, amongst his peers and fans. Will it change their opinion of him? Will sponsors wish to put his name against their products? Will his life ever go back to what it was?
No, he is finished, even if by some miracle his legal team manage to get him off the charge (looking like police incompetence could be the loophole he needs). Way too many people will boo him for him to appear at any events, and that's before considering what his "herbal remedies" mean for his reputation and sportsmanship. He was controversial before with many people believing his success was down to unfair advantage from technology, now it seems he was taking only-just-legal enhancements too. He's done whatever happens.
He heard a noise and thought it was an intuder, but didnt think to warn, nor check the safety of his girlfriend of whom he was "deeply in love" with?. Seeing as by his own admission he had to go to the bed to get his firearm, he didnt check where this "much loved" woman was?.
Thing is, even if we accept his version of events, you still have to wonder at the mentality of a person who shoots a gun through a door.
I mean, how did he know that any notional intruder hadn't grabbed his missus and dragged her into the loo?
How did he know that the "intruder" isn't just a bird stuck in the loo?
I really can't believe there are people here suggesting that if his story is the truth he doesn't deserve to go to jail for his actions.
What's next?
You're walking along a street at night, hear a noise, assume it's a robber and you're in danger so it's okay to just empty your magazine into the darkness on the off-chance that it was a robber and you were in danger?
And if an innocent person gets killed as a result, well y'know, that's just unfortunate?
Even if his story IS the truth, he needs locking up for whatever the maximum sentence is for manslaughter (or whatever the equivalent crime is in SA. 3rd degree murder?).
Hmm, and so there was enough light or him to see his (presumably relatively small) gun, but it was too dark or him to notice that his (much bigger) girlfriend was not in the bed! :rolleyes:
Well don't forget he is missing his legs. This would have probably reduced his view of the bed and any occupants. And it's not often clear if someone is in a bed or not depending on the covers and how they're positioned. She may have scrunched them up getting out of bed giving the impression of something there. I'm just speculating but I think it's worth a mention.
He heard a noise and thought it was an intuder, but didnt think to warn, nor check the safety of his girlfriend of whom he was "deeply in love" with?. Seeing as by his own admission he had to go to the bed to get his firearm, he didnt check where this "much loved" woman was?.
Comments
take those rose tinted glasses off. He's guilty and a fool. Hope his life is over like he took hers.
If it's reckless, it isn't accidental.
It was clearly reckless, at the very least!
You did. And said it sounded ludicrous as you typed it, or words to that effect.
He's taken a young woman's life. He should go to prison whether it's accidental or not. He can be remorseful in prison.
Give them a call. There's no point proceeding to trial at all. Why waste all that time and money when you have all the answers.
He is guilty of killing her so how can anyone deny that?
I have said that I believe the story he is giving rather than he killed her after an argument.
I haven't tried rose tinted specs! Do they work like normal shades??
He heard a noise and thought it was an intuder, but didnt think to warn, nor check the safety of his girlfriend of whom he was "deeply in love" with?. Seeing as by his own admission he had to go to the bed to get his firearm, he didnt check where this "much loved" woman was?.
That's about it. And then, having not checked the whereabouts or safety of his beloved girlfriend, he fired four shots through the bathroom door, also forgetting to first call out "who's there?" or "darling, is that you?" and wait for a response.
Or so he would have us believe...
It's not adding up is it?!
Well, according to some here his actions seem reasonable, but I simply smell total BS.
I dare anyone here to admit that there first thought on thinking that an intruder was in your home would be anything other than ensuring the safety of their loved ones!.
No it certainly isn't. I sure think he's guilty as hell and i hope he does not get bail. He deserves to be locked away for the rest of his life.
He didn't even see her when he went for the fan - in his testimony he only mentions at the end he realised she wasn't there. If he'd said he'd seen her when he got up then maybe although if I was here I'd still have probably said 'what are you doing up?' given it was 3am.
Totally agree.However you look at it he deserves to go to jail for a long time.
So his claim is that he heard a noise coming from the bathroom and he thought he was in danger. Look at the plan. The bathroom is around a corner and down a narrow passageway from the bedroom. Given the floor plan, from the bedroom, you would have no way to know that the "intruder" was actually inside the toilet cubicle. They could be anywhere in the bathroom at all. If you heard a suspicious noise from the bathroom the absolute last thing you would do is head into that narrow passageway, you'd be a sitting duck for the "intruder" who could be anywhere in the bathroom to take you out as you entered the corridor. The only sensible thing to do would be to either stay in the bedroom keeping your gun trained on the bathroom exit corridor ready to deal with the "intruder" as they emerged down the corridor, or even better just go hide somewhere else in the house and call the cops/security.
Astonishing that people are believing his story at all.
Anyway, put aside for a moment that the unfortunate victim was his girlfriend, it really doesn't matter who it was, fact is that even by his own account of the incident, he shot and killed a person without any reasonable check to find out who that person was or whether they were a danger to him or not.
Floor plan is here: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/oscar-pistorius-court-17-minutes-1720257 ... check it out and ask yourself if you would go down that blind and narrow corridor if your fear was somebody armed being in the bathroom.
In one extraordinary exchange towards the end of Mr Botha's testimony, Magistrate Desmond Nair confronted the detective over the likelihood that Pistorius, one of the most famous athletes in the world, would flee the country if he were granted bail.
"Can I just say, the accused before court is an international athlete, paralympic athlete, he uses prosthesis on both legs. I'm sure we would both agree that his face is widely recognised internationally," he told investigating officer Hilton Botha. "Do you subjectively believe that he would take the opportunity, being who he is, using prosthesics to get around, to flee South Africa?"
Mr Botha replied "yes", to laughter in the court and a raised eyebrow from the magistrate.
"I believe for someone facing 15 years to life, I would make a plan to get out and go somewhere, with the finances he has," the officer, who has 24 years experience on the force, added.
Mr Nair continued: "But do you think it's possible that a person who has won Olympic golds would want to forsake his career when he has a chance to prove his innocence in a court of law?"
"Your honour, imprisonment is no joke," Mr Botha replied.
According to this report in the Telegraph - it appears the magistrate may grant bail. If at the trial he is aquitted, of murder, how will this affect his standing in the Athletic community, amongst his peers and fans. Will it change their opinion of him? Will sponsors wish to put his name against their products? Will his life ever go back to what it was?
I dont think I was. I was saying we have no idea of the full details, and nor will we have until the trial.
As for what I think happened, I'm just giving an opinion, based on what we do know.
Anyway, put aside for a moment that the unfortunate victim was his girlfriend, it really doesn't matter who it was, fact is that even by his own account of the incident, he shot and killed a person without any reasonable check to find out who that person was or whether they were a danger to him or not.
[snip]
This. In a nutshell.
However, by the time the real trial starts, there may be social or politically expedient reasons to get him off on a technicality. I've already read reports of attempts to discredit the investigating officers, their evidence and especially the initial crime scene entry... and given the state of SA today, and an apparently ineffective police force, it wouldn't surprise me if for one reason or another, he ends up not doing much time at all (even if it wasn't an accident)).
Hmm, and so there was enough light or him to see his (presumably relatively small) gun, but it was too dark or him to notice that his (much bigger) girlfriend was not in the bed! :rolleyes:
It all depends on the circumstances.
If you're in bed at 3am and get up (knowing your partner is sleeping next to you) to go close a window across the bedroom.. where do you think your partner is while your back is turned? In bed.
You then hear a noise in your bathroom that's around a corner from the bedroom, having not heard nor observed any movement from the bed. Where do you think your partner is?
I think if people say it's not realistic for him to conclude she was still in bed.. then they're viewing this from hind sight. But I can accept that someone who knew their partner was in bed before they got up to close a window would naturally feel confident they were still in bed when they'd finished closing the window.
He discredits himself.
No, he is finished, even if by some miracle his legal team manage to get him off the charge (looking like police incompetence could be the loophole he needs). Way too many people will boo him for him to appear at any events, and that's before considering what his "herbal remedies" mean for his reputation and sportsmanship. He was controversial before with many people believing his success was down to unfair advantage from technology, now it seems he was taking only-just-legal enhancements too. He's done whatever happens.
Thing is, even if we accept his version of events, you still have to wonder at the mentality of a person who shoots a gun through a door.
I mean, how did he know that any notional intruder hadn't grabbed his missus and dragged her into the loo?
How did he know that the "intruder" isn't just a bird stuck in the loo?
I really can't believe there are people here suggesting that if his story is the truth he doesn't deserve to go to jail for his actions.
What's next?
You're walking along a street at night, hear a noise, assume it's a robber and you're in danger so it's okay to just empty your magazine into the darkness on the off-chance that it was a robber and you were in danger?
And if an innocent person gets killed as a result, well y'know, that's just unfortunate?
Even if his story IS the truth, he needs locking up for whatever the maximum sentence is for manslaughter (or whatever the equivalent crime is in SA. 3rd degree murder?).
Well don't forget he is missing his legs. This would have probably reduced his view of the bed and any occupants. And it's not often clear if someone is in a bed or not depending on the covers and how they're positioned. She may have scrunched them up getting out of bed giving the impression of something there. I'm just speculating but I think it's worth a mention.
If in his mind she was fast asleep when he got up for a few seconds before to bring in a fan, why would he assume she was anywhere else than in bed?