06-30-2014, 11:38 AM
AND THE WINNER IS...GERRIE NEL FOR THE PROSECUTION (IMO)
Today, the judge heard excerpts from the mental health specialists' findings. The findings indicate that they don't consider Oscar Pistorius as having had a mental illness that contributed to his killing of Reeva Steenkamp.
So, Roux's and Pistorius' attempts to mitigate or excuse his actions with a mental health argument seem to have failed and, hopefully, Judge Masipa won't be able to consider him legally defective when she deliberates her verdict and sentencing.
Snip:
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel referred to key parts of the conclusions, noting that the experts believed Pistorius was "capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his act" when he killed Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model.
"Mr. Pistorius did not suffer from a mental illness or defect that would have rendered him criminally not responsible for the offence charged," Nel said.
The world will have to wait to read the assessments: The full report has not been made public because the prosecution might call witnesses to testify about it.
.............And, the Defense continued with its witnesess...
Later, defense advocate Barry Roux called the doctor who amputated Pistorius' legs below the knees when he was 11 months old. Dr. Gerry Versfeld testified that the athlete had limited mobility on his stumps and would have difficulty maintaining his balance in the dark.
Pistorius was again asked to remove his prosthetic legs and Versfeld took his stumps into his hands as he demonstrated to the judge the difficulty Pistorius had in moving, owing to soft tissue under the athlete's stumps that slipped easily.
Versfeld said it was unlikely that Pistorius struck the toilet door with a cricket bat while on his stumps. He said the athlete would not have enough balance.
Nel questioned the orthopedic surgeon about this evidence, saying he could not reconcile Pistorius' version of what happened on the night of the shooting with his testimony.
"You said he often falls. Do you know that on that particular night he never fell? Did you not ask him what happened that night?" Nel asked Versfeld.
Full story: http://abcnews.go.com/International/osca...d=24360934
Today, the judge heard excerpts from the mental health specialists' findings. The findings indicate that they don't consider Oscar Pistorius as having had a mental illness that contributed to his killing of Reeva Steenkamp.
So, Roux's and Pistorius' attempts to mitigate or excuse his actions with a mental health argument seem to have failed and, hopefully, Judge Masipa won't be able to consider him legally defective when she deliberates her verdict and sentencing.
Snip:
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel referred to key parts of the conclusions, noting that the experts believed Pistorius was "capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his act" when he killed Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model.
"Mr. Pistorius did not suffer from a mental illness or defect that would have rendered him criminally not responsible for the offence charged," Nel said.
The world will have to wait to read the assessments: The full report has not been made public because the prosecution might call witnesses to testify about it.
.............And, the Defense continued with its witnesess...
Later, defense advocate Barry Roux called the doctor who amputated Pistorius' legs below the knees when he was 11 months old. Dr. Gerry Versfeld testified that the athlete had limited mobility on his stumps and would have difficulty maintaining his balance in the dark.
Pistorius was again asked to remove his prosthetic legs and Versfeld took his stumps into his hands as he demonstrated to the judge the difficulty Pistorius had in moving, owing to soft tissue under the athlete's stumps that slipped easily.
Versfeld said it was unlikely that Pistorius struck the toilet door with a cricket bat while on his stumps. He said the athlete would not have enough balance.
Nel questioned the orthopedic surgeon about this evidence, saying he could not reconcile Pistorius' version of what happened on the night of the shooting with his testimony.
"You said he often falls. Do you know that on that particular night he never fell? Did you not ask him what happened that night?" Nel asked Versfeld.
Full story: http://abcnews.go.com/International/osca...d=24360934