Olympic winning Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to five years jail after being found guilty on charges of culpable homicide of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Here is how the entire case unfolded
Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp
Olympic winning Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to five years of jail term after being found guilty on charges of culpable homicide of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Here is how the entire case unfolded.
ADVERTISEMENT
Oscar Pistorius with his sister at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. Pic/AFP
Here are a look at the events since that fateful day.
February 2013:
14: News breaks around 8am that Pistorius has shot and killed his girlfriend, claiming he mistook her for a robber. South African Police arrest Oscar Pistorius for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot four times with one of his guns at his house near Pretoria. The police also confirm that they have recovered a 9mm pistol.
March 2013
5: Pistorius's family distances itself from his father's claim that white South Africans must own guns because the ANC government does not protect them.
28: A court clears Pistorius for international travel, easing his strict bail terms.
April 2013
5: Pistorius's uncle says his nephew remains too traumatised to consider returning to training and that even leaving the house is a battle.
14: Pistorius was spotted partying at a trendy Johannesburg hangout, media report.
August 2013
19: Pistorius is charged with Steenkamp's murder and date for his trial at the high court is set for March 3, 2014.
February 2014
14: Pistorius marks the first anniversary of Steenkamp's Valentine's Day killing by releasing a statement on his website acknowledging the "pain and sadness" of her family. "The loss of Reeva and the complete trauma of that day, I will carry with me for the rest of my life," he said.
March 2014
3: The trial opens in Pretoria, before an army of journalists from around the world
10: Pistorius vomits repeatedly in the dock as he hears graphic details of the injuries sustained by the girlfriend he fatally shot.
Murder accused Oscar Pistorius cries during trial at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. Pic/AFP
12: Part of the crime scene is reconstructed in the court as a forensic analyst demonstrates how Pistorius may have bashed a cricket bat on the door of his toilet to get to the girlfriend he had just fatally shot.
19: A police ballistics expert claims Reeva Steenkamp was standing in a toilet cubicle and facing the closed door when she was hit in the right hip by the first of four bullets fired by Pistorius.
24: Text messages between Pistorius and Steenkamp are read to the court. In them she states she was sometimes scared of him and complained about what she described as his short temper and jealousy in the weeks before he killed her.
April 2014
7-15: Pistorius takes the witness stand and begins with a tearful apology to the family of the woman he shot dead. This is followed by five days of intense cross-examination, marked by several bouts of tears and breaks in the session. But while Pistorius admits to having fired the shots, he refuses to admit any intention to kill his girlfriend.
May 2014
9: A ballistics expert says his analysis of the scene where the Olympic athlete shot Ms Steenkamp differs from the reconstruction of the shooting by police investigators.
14: The much-delayed trial receives another set back, as the judge orders the athlete to undergo psychiatric tests. The case is delayed until until June 30 while he is observed as an outpatient at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital.
June 2014
30: After a six-week interruption, a panel of three psychiatrists and a psychologist conclude that Pistorius was not suffering from mental illness. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
July 2014
12: Pistorius, who is on bail, is expelled from a nightclub after a scuffle with another patron.
August 2014
7: State prosecutor Gerrie Nel, in his final argument before the court, accuses Pistorius of concocting an alibi that led to a "snowball effect" of lies.
8: The trial concludes with closing arguments from the defence. A verdict is scheduled for September 11, 2014.
October 2014
21: Oscar Pistorius is sentenced to five years in jail after being found guilty for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
