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AS IT HAPPENED: Oscar Pistorius trial, day 16

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Get the latest details from day 16 of the murder trial of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius. Get Friday's updates here.


10:16 - So that's it I suppose for today's updates. We'll be back with updates on the trial when it restarts on 7 April.



9:55 "Together with lessons in court process, open justice also teaching the public another lesson us attorneys know well, one of patience," tweets David Dadic.

9:42 - 


9:40 - "Who does postponement favour, EWN's Mandy Wienerasks. Defence will have more time to prepare its case to rebut State's argument. But a delay could rattle OP."


9:37 - TRIAL POSTPONED TO 7 APRIL.


9:35 - Judge suggests postponement because assessor is sick. Suggests delay until 7 April.


9:34 - "Just confirmed from rock solid source - one of assessors is sick so trial will be postponed," tweets the BBC's Andrew Harding.


9:32 - "This is not a whodunnit but a whydunnit, with only one eyewitness: Pistorius himself," writes David Smith in The Guardian.

"Prosecutor Gerrie Nel acknowledged on the first day of the trial that all of the evidence is necessarily circumstantial.

"The 27-year-old's character will therefore be under the microscope. A convincing performance on the witness stand could spell the difference between life in jail or a chance to resurrect his sporting career." Read more here.


9:31 - Now reporters in court says there are rumours of a delay because one of Judge Masipa's assessors is sick.


9:29 - "Pistorius sitting in dock studying [his] iPhone. Brother Carl, back in court, shakes Roux's hand," tweets The Guardian's David Smith.


9:13 - "Remember Mlambo JP order: can't televise any of defence witnesses and Oscar Pistorius himself," says lawyer Dario Milo.


9:09 - Reeva's mother, June, is also at court, reporters say. As are many of her other loved ones. 


9:06 - Barry Bateman says the head of the police's investigative psychology section, Colonel Gerard Labuschagne is also at court.

"Labuschagne would keep a close eye on the accused when he testifies, his body language, general demeanor. [He] would note reactions to certain questions, how they're answered. Nel would use this when cross-examining," says Bateman.


9:01 - Pistorius has arrived in court. The state is setting up, say reporters.


8:58 - "Court starts at 09:30. Suspect first we may hear arguments from media lawyers as to whether Pistorius's testimony can be broadcast," tweets Daily Maverick reporter Rebecca Davis.


8:53 - Wow. That's quite a crew...


8:50 - "Lawyers representing the media are here too - apparently there's an application to broadcast visuals of the accused testifying," tweets Barry Bateman.


8:44 - 


8:35 - Eyewitness News reporter Barry Batemanwrites that there are 10 questions the Blade Runner might have to answer when he enters the witness box.

Among these are "Why did you not tell the bail court you spoke to Steenkamp shortly before her death?" Read more here.


8:32 - Sapa reports: Legal experts agreed that Pistorius was "very likely" to take the stand on Friday to shed light on the night he fatally shot Reeva Steenkamp.

"It is very, very, very likely that he will testify based on the nature of the defence that he is relying on," University of Cape Town law lecturer Kelly Phelps said on the eve of the resumption of the trial.

It was common practice in South Africa for the defence to call the accused first, she said.

Pistorius needed to testify to prove that he mistakenly believed Steenkamp was an intruder.

"The only way to suggest some evidence is for the accused to take the stand. How else would his subjective state of mind be tested," said Phelps.





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