Oscar Pistorius not only apologised to Reeva's family, he gave a detailed account of what happened .He said he heard a noise from the bathroom which sounded like the window was being opened. So he told Reeva who he thought was asleep to take cover while he picked up his gun..
Pistorius said he woke in the middle of the night and noticed the fans were still running in his bedroom and that the door was open. He told the court: 'Reeva rolled over to me and asked: "Can't you sleep Baba?"
'I stood up and got to the fans. I took the small fan and placed it inside the room.'I placed the bigger fan in the bedroom. They were both still running. I closed and locked the sliding doors and drew the curtains.I came into the room. The only bit of light was an LED light on the amplifier where the TV cabinet is.I could see Reeva's jeans on the floor. I picked them up to place them over the LED light.
It was at this point that I heard a window sliding open in the bathroom. I heard the window hit the frame.I thought that a burglar had got into the house. I think I initially just froze. I interpreted it as someone getting into the bathroom.That's the moment that everything changed.
'The first thing that ran through my mind was to protect Reeva and I and to get my gun.
He said he 'rushed as quick as I could' with his hand out in front of me, at times touching the floor before grabbing his firearm from underneath the bed.
At that point I just wanted to put myself between the person who had gained access to my house and Reeva.I slowed down and had my firearm extended in front of me. I whispered to Reeva to get down and phone the police.
As I entered where the (bathroom) passage is, I was overcome with fear. I screamed and shouted to the person to get out of the house. I didn't have my legs on.Just before I got to the passage I heard a door slam. It could have only been the toilet door.It confirmed that there was a person or people inside the bathroom.'
'I got to the entrance of the bathroom at the end of the passage where I stopped screaming. At this point I was certain that the intruders were in the bathroom.
I had my pistol in my right hand and peered into the bathroom.I didn't have much mobility on the tiles. I had my pistol raised to the corner of the entrance of the bathroom.
'I noticed that the bathroom window was open. I was with my back against the wall.I wasn't sure if the intruders were in the toilet or around the corner at that point.Then I heard a noise from inside the toilet that I perceived to be someone coming out of the toilet.Before I knew it I had fired four shots at the door.
'My ears were still ringing - I couldn't hear anything - so I kept shouting for Reeva to phone the police.
I was still scared to retreat because I wasn't sure if there was somebody on the ladder or someone in the toilet.' He said he then went back to the bedroom and realised Miss Steenkamp wasn't there.
'I didn't want to believe it could be Reeva inside the toilet. I didn't know what to do. I kicked the door. I was crying out, I was screaming. I have never screamed like that. I didn't want to believe it could be Reeva inside the toilet. I didn't know what to do. I kicked the door. I was crying out, I was screaming. I have never screamed like that.'
When she did not respond Pistorius said he realised he may have made a terrible mistake and rushed back to the bathroom to break down the door.After hitting the door, he saw the key inside, unlocked the door and 'flung it open'.There, he found her fatally injured.
'I said "Oh, Reeva". I sat over her and cried,' the athlete testified sobbing loudly and putting his head in his hands and before letting out the barely inaudible cry: 'she wasn't breathing'.
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