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AS IT HAPPENED: Oscar Pistorius trial, day 28

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Oscar Pistorius (Gianluigi Guercia, AFP)
Oscar Pistorius (Gianluigi Guercia, AFP)



15:02 - Trial resumes on Friday as Wolmarans continues his testimony, still has to be cross-examined by Advocate Nel.




15:01 - Court makes an order that graphic photographs are not to be published. Court adjourned.




14:59 - Abrasion wounds could be related to bullet wounds on upper arm, says Wolmarans.




14:57 - Wounds to show that the Reeva may have been in an upright position, right leg became unstable, causing her to collapse after being shot.




14:56 - Wolmarans says it is not possible to determine the sequence of the shots or position of the body.




14:52 - Holes could have been caused by bone fragments as well, says Wolmarans about the back of the vest.




14:51 - Oscar Pistorius cradles his head in his hands as he listens to evidence during his murder trial in Pretoria. (Gianluigi Guercia, Pool, AP)




14:48 - Attention turns to clothing that Reeva wore, damage consistent with bullet wounds, Wolmarans testifies.




14:46 - 
Bullet defected from a tile, and a piece of the tile fell into the toilet bowl, which Wolmarans recovered.




14:44 - Cricket bat was used to strike the upper right panel, distinct marks match cricket bat, say Wolmarans.




14:43 - Widespread pattern of splinters around the bullet entrance hole, doesn't match the wounds on Reeva's upper arm, says Wolmarans.




14:40 - Pattern consistent with wounds, even though it's wider, says Wolmarans.




14:39 - Witness board pattern shows correspondence with wounds on Reeva's arm, Wolmarans testifies.




14:36 - Witness board presented to the judge for examination, admitted as exhibit 6.1.




14:34 - Roux says that it's difficult to show wood splinter injuries from photographs.




14:31 - Wolmarans ran tests with similar firearm and ammunition on a door from Oscar's home.




14:27 - Wolmarans says that imprint marks of a bullet shows that it was unstable.




14:23 - Wolmarans points to the door, shows that the door is not uniformly thick. Analysis shows that the curve in the wood is an indication of deflection.




14:21 - 
Deflection not taken into account by the police, says Wolmarans.




14:19 - Reconstruction of the door could have impacted the accuracy of the trajectory of the bullets, Wolmarans testifies.




14:17 - 
Groupings of bullet pattern on the door shows a small pattern, says Wolmarans. Factors could have affected accuracy on trajectory.




14:15 - Wolmarans testifies that he measured the door to get consistent results.




14:13 - Wolmarans says that Black Talon bullets are not available in SA, but similar to Ranger rounds.




14:11 - Bullets stays intact when it hits a wooden target, can influence its stability.




14:09 - Bullets in the gun was hollow-point, designed to expand on impact. "This bullet forms like a mushroom when it hits the soft flesh," says Wolmarans, as his phone rings.



14:06 - 
Grooves in the gun's barrel are like the fingerprint's of the gun. [Just like on CSI]




14:04 - Wolmarans explains firing action, and the finger pressure required for double action, single action shooting.




14:02 - Wolmarans explains a self-loading firearm, magazine can be loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition.




14:01 - Court back in session, Tom Wolmarans to explain his view.



14:00 - Tom "Wollie" Wolmarans, a retired South African Police Service forensics expert will testify at the Oscar Pistorius trial. (Themba Hadebe, AP)





13:02 - Court adjourned for lunch.




13:00 - Wood from the toilet door was carefully under Wolmarans's control.




12:56 - Witness found a fragment a bullet in the toilet bowl.




12:55 - Wolmarans examined crime scene while wearing protective clothing.




12:53 - A number of local and international companies have consulted with Wolmarans.




12:51 - Wolmarans has given expert testimony in a number of areas related to firearms' mechanisms, use; analysis in Germany and the US. Employed by the UN in 2000 as crime scene officer in Kosovo.




12:48 - Wolmarans trained in fingerprints, not crime scene and analysis. Gained extra knowledge on war weapons in Zimbabwe.




12:45 - Wolmarans specialised in firearms in police after army, transferred to logistics, employed in confiscated firearms section. Gained knowledge during that time.




12:43 - Roux asks Wolmarans for short CV.




12:41 - Witness says he's Afrikaans speaking, but interpreter may have trouble, nevertheless should be on standby.




12:39 - Wolmarans doesn't object to TV images.




12:37 - Tom Wolmarans, ballistics expert takes the stand for the defence.




12:29 - Witness excused, Tom Wolmarans called, 10 minute break.




12:27 - Roux on redirect: Did Oscar bring the accident into context? [choice of words]




12:26 - Nel wants to know whether she expected Oscar to say "I'm sorry for what I did."



Oscar Pistorius keeps his head down at the continuation of his murder trial in Pretoria. (Gianluigi Guercia, Pool, AP)



12:25 - Nel warming up with "You felt sorry for the accused on the morning of the 15th?" Van Schalkwyk says she has 24 years of experience.




12:23 - 
And... we're back.




12:16 - Nel requests a 10 minute adjournment, granted.




12:15 - Van Schalkwyk performed no emotional tests on Oscar, drug test were done.




12:13 - Nel pushes the witness that Oscar never said "I'm sorry for what I did." Van Schalkwyk wasn't expecting an apology.




12:11 - Van Schalkwyk says: "I was there for emotional support. I saw a heart-broken man."




12:09 - Nel says "It's all about him". Van Schalkwyk can't agree.




12:08 - Nel counters with "He never said 'I'm sorry'" He was sorry about the loss, not sorry about what he did.




12:07 - Nel wants to know how Oscar felt on the day, but Van Schalkwyk says Oscar spoke about Reeva.


-    Before The Oscar Pistorius Trial took a two week recess, forensic geologist, Roger Dixon was called to the stand.


12:05 - What would you expect of a normal person who shot someone, Nel asks Van Schalkwyk.




12:03 - Nel fires at Van Schalkwyk: "He thought he was under attack, so his version changed from the one he told you."




12:02 - 
Nel: "He said to you, I accidentally shot her."




12:00 - Van Schalkwyk doesn't see accused in family murders after arrest.




11:59 - Nel asks: "Did he say 'I shot Reeva?'" "No," says Van Schalkwyk.




11:58 - Van Schalkwyk says Oscar vomited twice, cried. She had to calm him down. Saw him at his home.




11:55 - Van Schalkwyk reads that Oscar had no drugs in his system, coping well. Oscar is "accused is fully compliant with all the conditions".




11:54 - Reports show that Pistorius is "heart-broken", has "normal reactions to abnormal conditions", "giving full co-operation".




11:50 - Van Schalkwyk reports on Oscar marked LLL1 - LLL4.




11:49 - Van Schalkwyk: "I saw a heartbroken man, he cried 80% of the time; he's suffering emotionally."




11:48 - "What she saw and what she heard from the accused, you can't separate it," says the judge.




11:47 - Roux insists that Van Schalkwyk evidence is relevant because it comes from someone independent.




11:45 - Nel objects to evidence, Roux fights it, saying it is in response to the State's case against Oscar.




11:44 - Oscar was genuinely sorry, in mourning over the death of Reeva Steenkamp, says Van Schalkwyk.




11:43 - Van Schalkwyk upset at rumours that Oscar took acting classes, could cry on demand.




11:42 - Oscar looks subdued, head down.




11:41 - Yvette van Schalkwyk takes the stand, worked for department of social development as a social worker.




11:39 - Court back in session, new witness to take the stand.




11:19 - Professor Lundgren excused. Court take a tea break.




11:18 - Roux wants to show that the State's argument is speculative.




11:17 - Roux redirects: "Can you work out time on an hourly basis?" Prof says no way.




11:15 - Prof refuses to say that Prof Simon is wrong: "It's his opinion."




11:14 - Nel questions prof on her testimony that Reeva's stomach should have been empty after six hours. Court tense as prof refuses to comment.




11:11 - Reeva drank no alcohol, took no drugs that may have delayed gastric emptying, prof accepts Nel's view.




11:09 - Anxiety, emotion and the time of eating will delay gastric emptying, says prof, but Nel hits on the length of the delay.




11:06 - Nel says that 2l of food is unlikely, 4l "even less probable", prof retreats to forensic literature.




11:04 - Nel says that post mortem shows 200ml of food in her stomach, implies that Reeva ate 2l of food if she ate at 19:00.




10:59 - Prof complains that her estimates are taken out of context, Nel presses her on the 10% to 4 hours ratio.




10:58 - Prof Lundgren doesn't agree with Prof Simon's view that Reeva ate two hours before death, but "not prepared to criticise a forensic pathologist".




10:55 - Prof reiterates that 10% of a low fat meal remains in the stomach after four hours.




10:53 - Nel refers prof to a bullet point in book: "Digestion may continue after death."



10:51 - Court back in session, Professor Lundgren still on the stand.




10:15 - Nel asks for 30 minute recess, granted.



10:13 - Nel to Prof: After death, gastric emptying stops. Prof says I deal with live patients, but she is unable to find evidence that digestive enzymes continue to work at refrigerated temperatures.





10:10 - Prof: "Cheese can be a high fat meal and that can take a long time to empty, as well as fibre."




10:08 - Nel presses witness on "Professor Simon said he was able to identify the food."




10:07 - "You haven't warned your patients not to have stir fry," says Nel, "and now you say it's important."




10:06 - No says prof, she slept, was premenopausal, could have delayed the emptying of her stomach.



10:04 - Nel says that Prof would expect Reeva's stomach to be empty, based on the time she had supper.




- DStv Premium, Extra, Compact and Compact Plus subscribers can keep up with The Oscar Trial on Channel 199



10:00 - Prof Lundgren insists that a minimum of six hours is recommended for gastric emptying.




9:57 - Nel to witness: "You don't know" on medication, illness that may have delayed gastric emptying.




9:55 - Nel to Prof: I'm not fighting with you, do you understand that?




9:54 - Nel objects to some evidence as "pure hearsay".




9:53 - Prof says that it is pure speculation to use gastric emptying as a measure.



9:52 - Reeva ate chicken between 19:00 and 21:00 on the day of her death, many factors may have delayed her gastric emptying.




9:51 - A number of drugs, including herbal medicines, cocaine, dagga, and even over-the-counter drugs delay gastric emptying.




9:49 - Sleep on the left side, smoking, premenopausal women can all have a delaying effect on gastric emptying.




9:48 - Gastric science "not an exact science" says prof.




9:46 - Content of the food key to stomach emptying.




9:46 - 10% of a low fat meal will remain in the stomach after four hours, but anaesthesiologists insist on six hours.




9:44 - SA medical guidelines liberal: Says patients can have clear fluids up to two hours before surgery, different with solid foods




9:43 - Gastric emptying takes a long time after patient has eaten says Prof, especially with a head injury



9:40 - Reeva Steenkamp stomach contents key to defence case.




9:37 - Prof goes through her qualifications, from 1977 to 2014, PhD in deaths due to anaesthesia.




9:34 - Court back in session witness sworn in, no pictures allowed




9:26 - Court is due to start in five minutes and defence likely to press the issue that Oscar screams in a high-pitched voice




9:23 - Oscar faces Day 28 in court - biggest issue in this case is whether it was premeditated




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