Oscar Pistorius trial: 5 things you missed

1. The handshake: After being given the cold shoulder by a member of the ANC Women's League last week, Pistorius first smiled and then tentatively approached the League again yesterday and a member shook his hand. The members, wearing their trademark green outfits, have been there - they say - in solidarity with the Steenkamp family.

 

2. The upset: June Steenkamp, Reeva's mum, who made a rare appearance in court yesterday struggled to endure photos of Oscar's blood-spattered prosthetic legs and socks that were shown on the screens. She quietly walked out, visibly upset. Earlier, Aimee Pistorius was once more seen reaching out to her.

 

3. The mystery of the blood on the wall, blood on the duvet and an error in dates: Crime scene photographer, Barend Van Staden, took photos of what appeared to be blood on the wall by Pistorius' bed, and on the duvet cover. So far no versions have been put forward about how the blood may have gotten there. Similarly, the state admitted that some of the crime scene photos were taken on 8 March - again there was no explanation as to why the photos were taken nearly two weeks after the shooting.

 

4. The gun tests: Pistorius had to write a number of tests before he was given the green light to buy weapons (by the account of state witness, Sean Rens, it seems he was gathering quite an arsenal, spending some R40 000 on guns including an assault rifle). Steyl says there are specific courses you have to go on before you are allowed to buy most types of guns, and among the things applicants need to know are the laws governing the use of force.

 

5. The washing machine tweet: 

 

 

Rens testified that Pistorius had once told him that he had gone into "combat mode" when he heard a sound in his house that eventually turned out to be his washing machine. It seems Pistorius tweeted about the incident in 2012, a tweet, now deleted, that was re-tweeted more than 700 times.

 

- By Khatija Nxedlana & Thrishni Subramoney