Nel discredits Oscar defence witnesses

Sport
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel tried to discredit two of the witnesses called by Oscar Pistorius’s defence in sentencing procedures in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday.

PRETORIA — Prosecutor Gerrie Nel tried to discredit two of the witnesses called by Oscar Pistorius’s defence in sentencing procedures in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday.

Barry Roux, for Pistorius, called three witnesses on Monday — the athlete’s psychologist Dr Lore Hartzenberg, his manager Petrus van Zyl, and correctional services department social worker Mashaba Joel Maringa.

Under cross-examination from Nel, Hartzenberg admitted that she cried in court while Pistorius was testifying.

“I was emotional once. I cried in court,” she said.

“I was emotional once when he was required to take off his prosthesis.”

On September 12, Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide for the Valentine’s Day 2013 shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria townhouse. The court found him not guilty of murdering Steenkamp.

Hartzenberg said negative media coverage of Pistorius’s trial destroyed his attempts to heal from the trauma of Steenkamp’s death.

“His opportunity for healing was destroyed by the malevolent media reports and public comments,” Hartzenberg said.

Reading from a prepared report, the pages of which seemed to tremble in her hands at times, a silver-haired and bespectacled Hartzenberg said Pistorius had still not reached acceptance and healing in his grieving process.

Nel failed to get an answer from Hartzenberg on whether a new girlfriend would have affected the Paralympian’s emotional state after Steenkamp’s death.

“I find it very strange that you’re avoiding this question,” Nel said.

“If he met somebody, would that have impacted on his emotions? Your opinion please.”

She replied: “We never discussed it. We don’t know what that relationship entailed.”

Roux objected to Nel’s referring to the media report about the new girlfriend.

“The State must bring evidence. It’s reported in a newspaper.”

Steenkamp’s parents Barry and June Steenkamp were in court on Monday. They were supported by her friends Gina and Kim Myers, Marc Batchelor, African National Congress women’s league president Angie Motshekga, and Pistorius’s ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor and her mother.

The Pistorius family, including father Henke, brother Carl, sister Aimee, uncles Arnold, Theo and Leo were in court. — SAPA