/ 19 February 2013

State: Pistorius put legs on, walked to the bathroom, shot Steenkamp

State: Pistorius Put Legs On, Walked To The Bathroom, Shot Steenkamp

Pistorius put on his prosthetic legs, walked seven metres to a bathroom in his luxury Pretoria home and then opened fire on his girlfriend, who was behind a bathroom door, state prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

"There is no possible information to support his version that it was a burglar," said Nel.

Pistorius started crying in court as his lawyer denied that the killing of his model girlfriend Steenkamp was premeditated.

The state cannot prove that Pistorius knew his Steenkamp was on the other side of the bathroom door when she was shot, his lawyer countered.

Evidence would also be brought if needed, of men who had shot their wives or children thinking they were burglars, advocate Barry Roux said at Pistorius's bail application in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court.

'It's not even murder'
"We submit it's not even murder," advocate Barry Roux told the Pretoria Magistrate's Court. "There's no agreement there, not even concession that this is murder."

Pistorius, who was wearing a dark blue suit, lowered his eyes when argument started in his bail application, and broke down in tears when his lawyer started defending him.

Steenkamp, who was found dead at his home in Pretoria last Thursday, had arrived at the house between 5pm and 6pm on Wednesday night, February 13, Nel submitted to a packed court.

Nel said there were two people in the house.

Her overnight bag was there and a cosmetic bag was left in the bathroom.

He said Steenkamp was shot three times behind a closed bathroom door.

"The door was broken open from the outside," Nel told the court.

With Pistorius still looking at the floor, Nel said the state would say that the door was locked.

'Premeditated murder of a burglar'
Nel said Steenkamp's body was carried downstairs.

He said Pistorius then said to a friend he thought she was a burglar.

Nel wanted to know why a burglar would lock himself in a bathroom.

"We say this in itself constitutes premeditated murder of a burglar," said Nel.

When he finished his argument, Pistorius's lawyer Barry Roux stood up to argue why Pistorius should be granted bail.

The bail application of the Olympian and Paralympian Pistorius started shortly before 10am.
After Pistorius was brought in, Nel launched straight into the first official details of what allegedly led to the death of Steenkamp.

"There are objective facts that are not in dispute," said Nel. – Sapa