(ATR) Oscar Pistorius told the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday that he "didn't think about pulling the trigger" the night he shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp.
The Olympic sprinter's account of the moment he shot his girlfriend came after the prosecution ended its cross-examination.
The double-amputee told the court that he was "overcome with a sense of terror and vulnerability" as soon as he heard the supposed intruder inside his bathroom on Valentine's Day of 2013.
"As soon as I heard the noise," Pistorius testified, "before I could think, I pulled the trigger."
Defense attorney Barry Roux concluded his re-examination of Pistorius by presenting the Valentine's Day card that Steenkamp wrote to the Paralympian.An emotional Pistorius then read the card aloud to the court.
The defense also called an expert to the stand on Tuesday who offered his analysis of the Olympic sprinter's bathroom door and the pathologist's report on Steenkamp.
On Monday, Chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel asked the Olympian who deserves the blame for shooting Steenkamp on Valentine's Day of 2013. Pistorius said he blames himself "for taking Reeva's life."
The prosecution has aimed to undermine the Paralympian's credibility and disrupt hisversion of events that took place the night of Steenkamp's killing. Nel claims Pistorius intentionally shot his girlfriend following a heated argument.
The defense is expected to call 14 to 17 witnesses throughout the duration of the trial which isexpected to last into May before Judge Thokozile Masipa makes a decision.If convicted, Pistorius faces 25 years in jail.
Written byNicole Bennett
For general comments or questions,click here.
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics isAroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.