Oscar Pistorius trial

Barry Bateman

@barrybateman

#OscarPistorius Burger maintains that she believed what she had heard was a house robbery unfolding. BB

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:37:47 PM

David Smith

@SmithInAfrica

Burger: "The fear in that woman's voice. You only fear like that if your life is threatened." #Pistorius

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:37:16 PM

Barry Bateman

@barrybateman

#OscarPistorius Roux wants to understand how Burger heard only four shots and her husband heard more shots. BB

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:33:12 PM

Gerrie Nel objects again, imploring the court to move on saying that Burger has answered the question multiple times.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:31:18 PM

Roux is now calling into question Burger's hearing saying that what she heard is different from other people who were closer to Pistorius' house heard.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:28:20 PM

David Smith

@SmithInAfrica

Burger on #Pistorius : "I'm not going to judge him. He will have to come here and explain it."

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:26:54 PM

Witness Michell Burger is being very patient with advocate Barry Roux. She repeatedly reaffirms her statement. She's adamant she heard a woman and a man scream. She says "I'm 100% convinced I heard gun shots that evening."

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:26:32 PM

Roux to Burger: You come from an attitude that when you heard Mr. Pistorius' version of events at the bail application you immediately decided it was not true.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:24:33 PM

Burger: I did not hear a cricket bat hitting a door.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:22:40 PM

Karyn Maughan

@karynmaughan

Burger: I think most South Africans know when they hear a gun shot. #OscarTrial @eNCAnews

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:22:19 PM

Roux is questioning Burger's experience with guns and gun shots. Burger says she's been to a shooting range once. She maintains that what she heard that night was not the sound of a cricket bat hitting a door, it was a gun shot. Roux says sounds are strange at night, seemingly trying to create reasonable doubt.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:21:03 PM

Barry Bateman

@barrybateman

#OscarPistorius Roux - when Pistorius is anxious, his voice pitches and it sounds like a woman. BB

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:19:03 PM

Michell Burger on who was screaming:

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that it was two people

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:18:44 PM

Roux now suggesting that #OscarPistorius "may sound like a woman" when he screams. Someone in gallery laughs. @eNCAnewsKaryn Maughanat 3:15 AM

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:15:43 PM

Roux is now questioning when Burger went to sleep and how she could've gone to sleep after a traumatic event. Burger says "my sister's baby died on Friday night and I slept. I can sleep after traumatic events."

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:13:41 PM

Oscar Pistorius alternates between looking at Barry Roux and Michell Burger, and taking notes.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:12:47 PM

Karyn Maughan

@karynmaughan

Interpreter has coughing fit and is forced to leave. Sounds of coughing outside.

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:10:52 PM

Burger says she only heard the shots, not the cricket bat. She says she could have been too far away to hear the cricket bat. Roux says "that's my point"

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:09:40 PM

Roux says it's plausible that the banging of a cricket bat against the bathroom door could have sounded like gun shots.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:06:47 PM

Roux is now reading Pistorius' statement of events to Burger and asks her to listen "without being judgmental."

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:05:49 PM

RAGreeneCNN

@RAGreeneCNN

At least nine Pistorius family members in court today including Oscar's brother, sister, uncle, aunt and cousins

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:04:13 PM

Witness Michell Burger:

I couldn't have heard other shots before I woke up, I only heard four shots.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:03:54 PM

Now we're back to the question of if gun shots could've been fired while Michell Burger was asleep.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:02:11 PM

It’s worth noting that when Burger addresses Barry Roux she
says “my lady.” That’s because technically she’s addressing judge Thokozile
Masipa, who is a woman.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:01:18 PM

Michell Burger is coming back into the courtroom. The judge tells her she's still under oath.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 1:00:16 PM

Karyn Maughan

@karynmaughan

Nel: this is being put to the witness as a contradiction, but it's a continuation. #OscarTrial @eNCAnews

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:59:26 PM

Nel objects to Roux's line of questioning. Burger is excused from the courtroom while the advocates and judge discuss her statement.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:57:42 PM

Karyn Maughan

@karynmaughan

Roux: but why did you not say you heard the woman screaming in between the shots. Burger: I said it now. #OscarTrial @eNCAnews

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:54:40 PM

Burger is clarifying why there's no mention of the emotion she felt that night in her statement to the police captain. She says they spoke about it before he started taking her statement.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:52:39 PM

From Richard Greene in the overflow room at the courthouse: Oscar Pistorius continues to take notes.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:50:33 PM

Roux is now reading a portion of Burger's statement back to her. He's pointing out that what Burger has told the court today has more drama to it. He also says her statement only mentions one scream.
Gerrie Nel objects, saying that in Afrikaans you don't say "I heard the woman screams" when talking about more than one scream. Those in court laugh.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:49:23 PM

Court is back in session, hopefully there are enough copies of Burger's statement for everyone who needs one.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:44:44 PM

David Smith

@SmithInAfrica

#Pistorius still looking down, writing detailed notes. June Steenkamp looking morose.

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:36:39 PM

Roux is now reading Burger's previous statement back to her but there aren't enough copies for all the relevant court people to follow along with, so we're taking a quick break to get more.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:33:39 PM

David Smith

@SmithInAfrica

Burger: "You only shout like that if your life is really threatened... It was something that leaves you cold." #Pistorius

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:30:52 PM

David Smith

@SmithInAfrica

Burger: "I was convinced that woman was being attacked – she and her husband were being attacked in their house... Fear in her voice."

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:30:16 PM

From Richard Greene in court:

Pistorius trial descends into farce.

Judge and witness discuss, in English, if she should testify
in English... Before agreeing she will continue in Afrikaans.

Which she does.

Still regularly correcting and helping her translator ...
And now testifying in English.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:28:09 PM

Burger: I didn't sit there with a stopwatch and take down when each shot happened.
Roux says in response "You're not sure ... you're speculating."

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:25:25 PM

Karyn Maughan

@karynmaughan

Roux now asks Burger about her failure to mention the screaming during the shots during her testimony for the state. #OscarTrial @eNCAnews

Mar. 3, 2014

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by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:23:01 PM

To keep things clear, Barry Roux is an advocate for Oscar Pistorius. Michell Burger is a witness called by the state. Roux is cross-examining Burger.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:21:34 PM

Burger is now retelling her account of what happened, from the beginning. Roux is taking it step by step.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:19:49 PM

Judge is now asking both sides if the interpretation can be relied on.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:17:53 PM

Roux is not letting up. He's still pushing on the matter of her saying it was a "confusing evening." Roux has asked Burger if the interpreter is doing a good job. Burger says that she's willing to talk in English, if it's easier for the court.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:16:50 PM

Roux asks what Burger meant when she said it was a "confusing evening." Burger says in English: "The events of that evening were extremely traumatic for me."
Burger's voice cracks a bit. "It was a very emotional situation to have to hear," she says.

by emily.smith 3/3/2014 12:15:03 PM