Pistorius reenacts shooting in shock footage

Image
AFP Pretoria
Last Updated : Jul 06 2014 | 11:13 PM IST
Oscar Pistorius is walking on his stumps, appearing to aim a pistol, in footage broadcast today that shows the Paralympic gold medallist at his most vulnerable in a shock reenactment of the night he shot his girlfriend.
Lawyers for the athlete said the video, which emerged the week his trial resumed for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp, was commissioned by his defence team and obtained illegally.
In the footage aired by Australia's Channel 7 the double-amputee is seen crossing a room on his bare stumps, wearing a tank top and tight black shorts, his hand clenched in the air as if ready to fire a gun.
"I wasn't sure if someone was going to come up and point a firearm at me," says the star sprinter at one point.
The 27-year-old is seen screaming and crying for help, and carrying his younger sister Aimee down a flight of stairs, as he acts out his account of the minutes after he shot Steenkamp.
The video was made by the Evidence Room, a US company based in Cleveland, Ohio, that specialises in forensic animation.
The Evidence Room was hired by the defence team in October 2013 to digitally depict the sequence of events early on Valentine's Day last year, when Pistorius shot his girlfriend four times through a locked toilet door.
The animation firm used the footage of Pistorius moving on his stumps in order to reimagine the crime scene in an animated format.
Brian Webber, a lawyer representing Pistorius, said in a statement the video was "obtained illegally and in breach of the non-disclosure agreement with The Evidence Room."
"Channel 7 purchased this footage unlawfully," said Burgess, adding that the broadcaster had agreed not to air the material until the end of the trial.
"Whilst we cannot imagine how any of the footage would not support Oscar's version, we will only be in a position to comment further once we have had the opportunity to study what has been aired," he said.
Australia's Channel 7, which did not say how it obtained the film, invited viewers to "vote" on the murder case in light of the new footage.
Fifty-three percent concluded that Pistorius was guilty, and 47 per cent that he was innocent.
Legal observers say it is now unlikely that the prosecution will be able to introduce the video as evidence when the trial resumes tomorrow.
Stephen Tuson, an associate law professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said the origin of the footage is important.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 06 2014 | 11:13 PM IST

Next Story