- Oscar Pistorius found not guilty of premeditated murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
- Oscar Pistorius has also been found not guilty of the second-degree murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by a judge in South Africa
- Paralympian breaks down in the dock as the judge delivers her verdicts
- 'There are not enough facts to support such a finding', rules South African judge
- Pistorius was negligent in the killing of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp says judge before adjourning until Friday
- Pistorius was a 'very poor' and 'evasive' witness, said Judge Thokozile Masipa
- Judge expected to deliver her full verdict on Thursday or Friday
- Oscar Pistorius' trial has lasted five months
- Court heard closing evidence from defence and prosecution in May
- Pistorius may be jailed for at least 25 years if found guilty of premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
- Judge Thokozile Masipa analysed 4,000 pages of evidence before verdict
n a lengthy
verdict phase climaxing Oscar Pistorius' trial, the judge said Thursday
he can't be found guilty of murder but that he was negligent in the
shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, raising the possibility
he'll be convicted of culpable homicide.
Judge
Thokozile Masipa said she felt the double-amputee Olympian acted
negligently when he fatally shot Steenkamp through a toilet door in his
home in the predawn hours of Valentine's Day last year.
In
a moment of high-drama, she then stopped reading out her judgment in
the six-month-long trial and adjourned until Friday. A formal judgment
in the case that has riveted much of South Africa and the world is
expected on Friday.
If Pistorius is acquitted of murder, he could still be sent to jail for years if convicted of culpable homicide.
While
the judge did not announce a verdict, she said the prosecution had not
proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Pistorius committed premeditated
murder. She also ruled out a lesser murder charge, but said Pistorius
may be vulnerable to being convicted of culpable homicide - in other
words a negligent killing.
'I
am of the view that the accused acted too hastily and with excessive
force,' Masipa said of Pistorius actions on the fatal night last year.
The
world-famous athlete has acknowledged firing four shots through a
toilet door in his home, hitting Steenkamp in the head, arm and hip area
and killing her. He says he mistook her for an intruder. The
prosecution alleges the athlete intentionally killed his girlfriend, a
model and budding reality TV star, after a loud argument, which was
heard by neighbours.
Culpable
homicide normally carries a five-year jail sentence in South Africa when
a firearm is used, but it can be changed by a judge depending on the
specific circumstances of the killing.
'Culpable homicide is a competent verdict,' the judge said.
Masipa said there were 'just not enough facts' to support the finding of premeditated murder in Steenkamp's fatal shooting.
As the judge spoke, Pistorius wept quietly, his shoulders shaking as he sat on a wooden bench.
Masipa
earlier told Pistorius, 27, he could remain seated on the bench while
she read her verdict out and until she asked him to stand for the
judgment.
Masipa
described Pistorius as a 'very poor witness' who had lost his composure
on the stand and was at times 'evasive,' but she emphasized that did
not mean he was guilty of murder.
Earlier,
the 66-year-old judge cast doubt on witness accounts of hearing a
woman's screams, a key part of the prosecution's case. Masipa said 'none
of the witnesses had ever heard the accused cry or scream, let alone
when he was anxious,' apparently acknowledging the possibility of the
defense's argument that Pistorius had been the person screaming in a
high-pitched voice after discovering he had fatally shot Steenkamp.
More...
- Judgement day for Blade Runner: Oscar Pistorius braced for murder trial verdict over the Valentine's Day shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
- 'I'm convinced Oscar Pistorius is innocent - it was a tragic accident': Only journalist to spend time with athlete during his murder trial rallies to his defence on eve of verdict
- Oscar Pistorius braced for murder trial verdict as prison expert reveals the horror of bloodthirsty gangs who turn inmates into sex slaves that lie in wait if he's convicted
- Bullet holes, a broken toilet lid and a murky green pool: Eerie pictures reveal little has changed in the home where Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp 18 months ago
- 'Thank you to those that have picked me up through everything': Oscar Pistorius tweets fans as judge retires to consider verdict in his murder trial
Masipa
also cited testimony of an acoustics expert called by the defense,
saying it cast 'serious doubt' on whether witnesses who were hundreds of
meters (yards) away in their homes - as some state witnesses were -
could have differentiated between the screams of a man or a woman.
At one point, Masipa said: 'I continue to explain why most witnesses got their facts wrong.'
Masipa
also said she was disregarding text messages between Steenkamp and
Pistorius that had been entered as evidence. Prosecutors had submitted
text messages that showed tension between them while the defense
submitted messages that indicated mutual affection. That evidence, the
judge said, doesn't prove anything.
'Normal relationships are dynamic and unpredictable most of the time, while human beings are fickle,' she said.
Oscar Pistorius cries in the dock in Pretoria as Judge Thokozile Masipa delivers her notes
Oscar Pistorius weeps as judge Thokozile Masipa reads out the first part of her verdict
Pistorius
faced 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder for
fatally shooting Steenkamp through a toilet cubicle door in his home in
the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14, 2013. He also faced years in jail if
found guilty of murder without pre-planning, or of negligent killing.
Pistorius could also be acquitted if Masipa believes he made a tragic
error and acted reasonably.
Earlier,
Masipa began by outlining in detail the four charges against the
Olympic runner: Murder, two counts of unlawfully firing a gun in a
public place in unrelated incidents and one count of illegal possession
of ammunition.
Before
the session began, Pistorius hugged his brother Carl, who was seated in
a wheelchair because of injuries suffered in a recent car crash.
The parents
of Steenkamp were also in the packed gallery. Other members of
Pistorius' family, including his father Henke, sat behind him.
If Pistorius is convicted on any charge, the case will likely be postponed until a later sentencing hearing.
There were many journalists at the courthouse, where the sensational trial has unfolded over the last six months.
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