Michelle Burger breaks down in court when describing the screams of Reeva Steenkamp. Through her tears she says "it was awful to hear her screams."
Nel is asking Burger how she'd break down a door with a cricket bat, should she need to. Burger is explaining to the court how she'd do that. Nel is making the point that the gunshots Burger heard were in quick succession and that there wouldn't have been enough time to pull the cricket bat back and hit the door to match the quickness of the gun shots.
Roux has no further questions for Michelle Burger. Advocate Gerrie Nel now has the opportunity to redirect questions to Burger.
Roux is now asking Burger about her experience with gun shots and shooting ranges.
Roux reads a specific paragraph from the expert's statement about the bullet that hit Reeva Steenkamp in the head. Nel wants the previous paragraph included as well, because it was the fourth and final bullet that hit Steenkamp in the head. Therefore, Steenkamp could've been screaming during the first three shots.
Roux is asking how Burger could've heard screaming during the shots if the shots killed her. We're now going to see a statement from a ballistic expert who said the head shot that hit Reeva Steenkamp would've caused her to drop to the ground.
Gerrie Nel objects and Judge Masipa says Mr. Roux has exhausted this line of questioning.
Burger: I'm as honest as I can be to the court. Roux is pushing that she's not a reliable witness. He asks: Why would a man who just shot his girlfriend shout for help? Burger says she should ask Oscar Pistorius himself. "I'm not Mr. Pistorius, I do not know," she says.
Roux is saying that the screams for help that Burger heard were those of Oscar Pistorius, not Reeva Steenkamp. Burger says she distinctly heard two different voices. Roux points out that she's not a voice expert.
We're onto the "reliability" portion of the cross-examination.
We're back to the cricket bat sound being compared to gun shots. Burger says she can't see how a gun shot and a bat hitting a door could sound the same but says it would take an expert to figure that out. Burger says she doesn't know what a cricket bat sounds like when it hits a door. She also says she doesn't know what Oscar Pistorius sounds like when he's anxious and screaming.
Roux is going paragraph by paragraph pointing out all the similarities between the two statements. Burger keeps saying that it's because it's what they both heard, and that she didn't read her husband's statement.
Roux says that Michelle Burger used her husband's statement to craft her own.
Burger: That's not how it happened, Captain Van Aardt has integrity.
Roux: Paragraph by paragraph, the similarities are striking.
Burger says of course they're similar - they were at the same house at the same time and heard the same thing.
Burger says that their statements are similar because they were sleeping in the same bedroom, court chuckles.
Roux wants to go paragraph by paragraph to show the "striking similarity" of the two statements.
Roux is now showing Burger her husband's statement. Previously, Michelle Burger has said she and her husband gave their statements independently, and that she hadn't seen her husband's statement. Roux is saying that both statements are too similar to have been given independently.
Roux is saying that between the time Michelle Burger gave her statement until now there's been a lot of negative media coverage of the case which could have influence her. Burger denies that.
Court is back in session following the break for tea. Michelle Burger is still on the stand.
Roux asks for a short adjournment to make certain documents available. It was almost tea time anyway. Court is adjourned for the moment.
Burger says that after the shots were fired she was not focused on any additional screaming because she was trying to call security.
Roux asks: Why is it necessary I have to ask you the same question four times? Burger responds that she just wants to get clarity.
Roux: What you are saying to the court must be seen in the following context - when the shots were fired, Reeva was in the toilet, the door was locked and the window was closed. What you are saying to the court is that 177 meters away where you only had a moment before the shots, you could hear increased anxiety, fear and emotion in that moment.
Burger: That's correct, I heard that.
Roux: You had the ability to hear emotion and fear and an increasing intensity in the moment the gun shots happened. Roux asks how she could hear all that in such a short time, from 177 meters away.
Burger is making sure she asks for clarification almost every time Roux asks her a question.
Roux is being very particular about the sequence of events. He's trying to get Burger to be very specific.
