03-06-2014, 10:44 AM
DAY 4
Ear witness Charl Johnson was again called to the stand, with his personal notes of the incident which he said he wrote down a year ago to jog his own memory in the future (per advice of an advocate friend).
Roux was all over him and it was difficult to follow what the hell Roux was trying to accomplish.
In his final attempts to discredit this witness under cross, he asked Johnson if he had spoken with his wife Michelle Burger about what happened that night; Johnson confirmed that he had. Roux appears to be trying to convince the court that Burger's and Johnson's personal statements are faulty because they influenced each other. IDK. They were laying in bed together when it happened. They're married. I'd think it weird/suspicious if they DIDN'T talk to each about it.
Next, Roux accused Johnson point blank of "designing" his statement in order to "incriminate" Oscar Pistorius. Johnson denied that accusation and said his purpose in coming forward was to give a neutral account of what he'd heard -- out of moral obligation.
Then, Roux again suggested that Johnson heard a cricket bat banging the bathroom door instead of gunshots after the female screaming (which Roux contends was actually Pistorius screaming). Johnson countered that he owned a 9mm and knows what it sounds like.
Lastly, Roux accused Johnson of lying and said that he was simply too far away from the incident to hear it. Johnson told the court that sound travel very far in the estates and that they can even here jackal calls from a nearby game reserve.
Johnson was dismissed. He, like his wife, was a strong and convincing witness for the prosecution, IMO.
Prosecutors did a good job of keeping the details of the their witness' statement out of the press over the last year. Roux knew about the witnesses and statements from discovery, of course, but I think he failed big time in his strategy of trying to convince the couple and the court that Burger and Johnson never heard female screams and that they heard a cricket bat instead of gun shots. He then failed again in his insinuation that they never heard anything or were out to get Pistorius. Big points for the prosecution, IMO.
Ear witness Charl Johnson was again called to the stand, with his personal notes of the incident which he said he wrote down a year ago to jog his own memory in the future (per advice of an advocate friend).
Roux was all over him and it was difficult to follow what the hell Roux was trying to accomplish.
In his final attempts to discredit this witness under cross, he asked Johnson if he had spoken with his wife Michelle Burger about what happened that night; Johnson confirmed that he had. Roux appears to be trying to convince the court that Burger's and Johnson's personal statements are faulty because they influenced each other. IDK. They were laying in bed together when it happened. They're married. I'd think it weird/suspicious if they DIDN'T talk to each about it.
Next, Roux accused Johnson point blank of "designing" his statement in order to "incriminate" Oscar Pistorius. Johnson denied that accusation and said his purpose in coming forward was to give a neutral account of what he'd heard -- out of moral obligation.
Then, Roux again suggested that Johnson heard a cricket bat banging the bathroom door instead of gunshots after the female screaming (which Roux contends was actually Pistorius screaming). Johnson countered that he owned a 9mm and knows what it sounds like.
Lastly, Roux accused Johnson of lying and said that he was simply too far away from the incident to hear it. Johnson told the court that sound travel very far in the estates and that they can even here jackal calls from a nearby game reserve.
Johnson was dismissed. He, like his wife, was a strong and convincing witness for the prosecution, IMO.
Prosecutors did a good job of keeping the details of the their witness' statement out of the press over the last year. Roux knew about the witnesses and statements from discovery, of course, but I think he failed big time in his strategy of trying to convince the couple and the court that Burger and Johnson never heard female screams and that they heard a cricket bat instead of gun shots. He then failed again in his insinuation that they never heard anything or were out to get Pistorius. Big points for the prosecution, IMO.