An emotional Oscar Pistorius has testified for the first
time in his murder trial, making a tearful apology to the family of his slain
girlfriend, before slumping in the dock.
The Paralympian, who killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at
his home last February but insists he mistook her for an intruder, took the
stand in Pretoria on Monday but proceedings were cut short because he was
deemed too exhausted to carry on.
The day's events ended dramatically as Pistorius sat on
the floor of the dock, surrounded by family, as his psychologist attempted to
comfort him by stroking his face.
Steenkamp's mother, June, had looked on unmoved as
Pistorius said: "I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to
Reeva's family, to those of you who knew her, to her friends.
"There hasn't been a moment since this tragedy
happened that I haven't thought about your family.
"I wake up every morning and you're the first people
I think of, the first people I pray for... I was simply trying to protect
Reeva. I can promise that when she went to bed that night she felt loved."
Pistorius also told the court that he was taking
anti-depressant medication and had sometimes woken in terror, suffering from
panic attacks.
"I climbed into a cupboard and I phoned my sister to
come and sit by me, which she did for a while," the double-amputee said.
"I have terrible nightmares about things that
happened last night. I wake up and I can smell blood, I wake up being
terrified."
Prosecutors allege Pistorius intentionally shot Steenkamp
in the head, arm and hip after an argument, and have sought to paint an
ill-tempered figure with an obsession with firearms.
The South African's testimony on day 17 of his trial came
as his defence team finally opened its case.
Lawyer Barry Roux led Pistorius through questions about
his childhood - one during which a series of break-ins and assaults to family
members had supposedly left him feeling acutely vulnerable - as well as his
athletics career and his disability.
Roux confirmed he would call up to 17 witnesses who would
testify on ballistics, urine emptying, damage to the toilet door, sound, and
"disability and vulnerability".
Pistorius faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted
of premeditated murder.
Culled from Skysports
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