- .Court forced to adjourn twice after athlete breaks down in witness box
- .Left box in tears after repeating what he shouted to suspected intruder
- .'I screamed get the f*** out of my house,' he wailed in high-pitched voice
- .Amputee also wept as he denied intentionally shooting Reeva Steenkamp
- .Prosecutor accuses him of crying because he's 'mixing up' his testimony
- .Gerrie Nel claims the runner is doctoring his evidence of the fatal night
- .Mr Nel tells athlete: 'I'm going to prove your version of events is untrue'
- .Athlete met by fans carrying white balloons as he arrived at the court
Oscar Pistorius left the witness box in tears twice today during a fierce a line of questioning from the state prosecutor who accused him of doctoring his evidence.
Gerrie Nel began the fourth day of cross-examination in the same vein he ended last week's gruelling interrogation by claiming the runner was changing his account of the night he killed his girlfriend.
Jumping from one piece of evidence to another, Mr Nel sought to keep Pistorius off balance by exhaustively listing alleged inconsistencies in the athlete's version of events.
At one point, Pistorius broke down after being asked to repeat what he said as he moved towards the bathroom where he shot Reeva Steenkamp after hearing a noise he thought was a burglar.
'I screamed "get the f*** out of my house",' he wailed in a high-pitched voice, prompting the judge to end the session temporarily to allow him to compose himself.
Strain: A weary-looking Oscar Pistorius rubs his eyes as he leaves the high court in Pretoria after a fourth day of gruelling cross-examination about the night he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
'Tailored evidence': State prosecutor Gerrie Nel sought to keep Pistorius off balance by exhaustively listing alleged inconsistencies in the athlete's version of events
Proceedings were halted again a short time later when he wept while denying that he intentionally shot his girlfriend.
When pressed to state what his defence was, Pistorius said: 'I heard the noise and I did not have time to interpret it and fired out of fear.
Mr Nel replied: 'You know exactly what you were doing, you fired at Reeva. You fired at her.'
Fighting back tears, Pistorius cried out 'I did not fire at Reeva' - forcing the judge adjourn the hearing.
When he returned to the stand, Mr Nel accused Pistorius of crying not out of grief for his girlfriend, but because he was getting his testimony confused.
'I'm going to argue that you got emotional because you got your defences mixed up,' Mr Nel claimed, saying the Olympian he had changed his account from one of self-defence to involuntary action.
Interrogator: Prosecutor Gerrie Nel walks past a courtroom reconstruction of the toilet in which Miss Steenkamp was shot. The cricket bat which the athlete used to break down the toilet door can also be seen
Analysing the finest detail: Prosecutor Gerrie Nel gestures as he explains a possible scenario about how Pistorius might have fired at girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
Mr Nel said the only explanation for why Miss Steenkamp was standing up against the door when she was shot was because she had been running away from Pistorius.
'All the screams and shouts were at her,' Mr Nel said. 'She fled for her life'.
The prosecution has said Pistorius's account of a mistaken shooting is a lie.
Earlier, Mr Nel told the court: 'Today, I'm going to prove your version of events is untrue. That you tailored your version, concocted your story.
'Your version is so improbable that it cannot reasonably possibly be true.'
Evidence: An image of the four bullet holes in the toilet door through which Pistorius shot his girlfriend
Reconstruction: Investigating officer Captain Mike van Aardt (right) is asked by state prosecutor Gerrie Nel (centre) to demonstrate the opening and closing of the door through which Reeva Steenkamp was shot
He went on to claim that Pistorius had argued with Miss Steenkamp shortly before the shooting.
'It's the state's case, Mr Pistorius, that she wanted to leave and that you weren't sleeping, you were both awake,' said Mr Nel.
'That's not correct my lady, that's untrue,' Pistorius replied softly.
'There was an argument,' Mr Nel said, drawing another denial.
The prosecutor's relentless questioning has elicited tears and taut replies from the world-famous double amputee, who insists he and the 29-year-old model were in a loving relationship.
In the spotlight: Oscar Pistorius arrives at court in Pretoria for the start of his second week on the stand
Backing their hero: A supporter holding white balloons greets Oscar Pistorius as he arrives at high court in Pretoria for a second week on the witness stand after a gruelling week of testimony
Mr Nel also complained that Pistorius was being evasive and challenged him: 'Today I pick up you're not sure about things, is anything wrong?' Nel asked. 'You're fine?'
Pistorius grew increasingly restless during the morning, wiping his face, pinching the bridge of his nose and clenching his jaw.
Later, Mr Nel accused Pistorius of being a stickler for detail on some matters, in contrast to his frequent statements in court that he could not remember aspects of his evidence.
Mr Nel noted that Pistorius earlier said he warned Ms Steenkamp to call police about an intruder in a whisper, contradicting later evidence that he spoke in a 'low tone'.
Tthe prosecutor also said blood spatter evidence indicated that the athlete's statement about the location of a duvet in the bedroom was false.
Pistorius has said the duvet was on the bed and that police photographs of the bed cover on the floor suggest that police moved it there after the shooting.
Support: The Paralympian has returned to the stand after a gruelling week in which he was accused of deliberately shooting Reeva Steenkamp after an argument
'We love you': Pistorius is hugged by a supporter as he arrives at court for his murder trialMr Nel said a pattern of blood drops on the duvet and on the carpet nearby show that it was on the floor before police arrived, and that its location amounts to evidence that the couple had been having an argument.
The prosecutor also alleged that Miss Steenkamp was in the process of getting dressed in the midst of the night-time argument and wanted to leave Pistorius's house shortly before the shooting.
A pair of jeans strewn on the bedroom floor showed Miss Steenkamp was putting them on, Mr Nel said, and contrasted with her character as a neat person who would not leave clothes lying around.
Pistorius responded that Miss Steenkamp was neat, but he said the jeans were inside out and therefore showed that Miss Steenkamp had not been in the process of donning them.
Mr Nel also questioned why the athlete did not give fuller details of his account in his bail statement last February, days after he killed Miss Steenkamp.
Pistorius had said then that there was a noise from the bathroom that caused him to think that people had broken into his house, but did not explain until later that it was the bathroom window sliding across and slamming against the frame.
Keeping the faith: A supporter offers the runner a cross as he prepares for another round of questioning from state prosecutor Gerrie Nel on the night he shot his girlfriend
Enjoying themselves: Supporters of the South African Paralympic star pose outside Court in Pretoria
The athlete said on Monday that he was on medication and traumatised while in a jail cell at the time of his bail statement, which could account for any discrepancies with his later evidence.
Mr Nel also said it was improbable that, in Pistorius's story, Miss Steenkamp did not ask him why he was getting out of bed in the middle of the night to retrieve fans from the edge of the balcony.
Earlier, fans of Oscar Pistorius greeted the athlete with hugs and white balloons outside court today as he arrived for a second week on the witness stand.
The Paralympian was met with messages of support saying 'Ozzy, we love you' and 'hero' while others played music in a festival atmosphere outside the high court in Pretoria.
Making their feelings known: A fan holds a poster saying 'Ozzy, we love you and pray for you' outside court
Moral support: Members of a Facebook supporters' group hold a religious text and trophy as they wait for him to arrive at the high court in Pretoria
Brave: Miss Steenkamp's mother, June, looks stony-faced towards Pistorius as he is led by prosecutor Gerrie Nel through the fine details of the moments leading up to her daughter's death
He has returned to the stand after a gruelling week in which he was accused of deliberately shooting his girlfriend through a toilet door as the couple talked and argued in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year.
Over the weekend, Reeva Steenkamp's older sister branded the runner a 'disgusting liar' after attending some of his testimony in court with her mother.
Simone Steenkamp, 48, said: 'He is trying to convince the court that they were really close and that he cared for her. It's not true.'
She told the Mail on Sunday that the trial 'almost destroyed me'.
She said: 'He knew we were there but he almost lost his balance and fell over when he saw us.
'Then he sat in the dock, smirking. He killed my sister and yet he still seems to be enjoying his celebrity status.
'During the adjournments he marched around as if he was still a star while my mother and I just wanted to hide away,' she added.
There for her brother: The runner's sister, Aimee (centre), and other members of his entourage listen to evidence at the start of the second week of his appearance in the witness stand
Solemn: Members of Pistorius's family listen to his cross-examination by state prosecutor Gerrie Nel
'I don't understand how anyone could commit that act - kill someone - and behave like that.'
On Friday, prosecutor Gerrie Nel pushed the Paralympic champion on his version of the exact events in the seconds before he killed Reeva Steenkamp by firing four times through the stall door in his bathroom with his 9mm pistol on February 14, 2013.
Mr Nel challenged the double-amputee sprinter repeatedly as to why Miss Steenkamp failed to scream when she was shot four times.
Mr Nel, one of South Africa's top attorneys, said it was beyond belief that 29-year-old law graduate and model Miss Steenkamp would have remained silent in the tiny cubicle with an armed Pistorius shouting and screaming in the adjoining bathroom.
Mr Nel later followed up with his central accusation - that the couple had an argument and Steenkamp fled to the toilet pursued by Pistorius, who then shot her through the closed wooden door.
'You knew that Reeva went behind the door and you shot at her,' Mr Nel said. 'You shot at her knowing she was behind the door.'
Pistorius, who claims he shot Miss Steenkamp by mistake thinking she was a nighttime intruder behind a toilet door in his bathroom, faces life in prison if convicted of murder.
Pistorius says he shouted at what he thought was an intruder in his house and also at Miss Steenkamp to call the police.
Mr Nel said that if that were the case, she would not have stood up against the door. She would have retreated away from it. And she would have responded to Pistorius, the chief prosecutor said.
'I don't think anybody could say where she would have stood,' Pistorius replied.
Polarising opinion: Pistorius was branded a 'disgusting liar' by Reeva Steenkamp's older sister in an interview with The Mail On Sunday over the weekend but his supporters are convinced he is innocent
Encouragement: Pistorius's sister Aimee, who has been in court throughout the trial, is greeted by fans
Mr Nel led the double-amputee runner through his own account of what happened in the moments before he shot Miss Steenkamp.
Pistorius said he heard a noise in the bathroom and moved down a hallway on his stumps towards the bathroom while screaming to his girlfriend - who he claims he had believed was in the bedroom - to get down and call the police.
He said he then heard what sounded like the toilet door slamming, then kept quiet as he reached the bathroom entrance, then heard a noise in the toilet that he perceived to be the sound of wood on wood, which he said made him think someone was opening the toilet door - which he said fit badly in the frame - to attack him.
And then, Pistorius said, he opened fire.
At each stage, Mr Nel argued that the account was improbable, questioning why Pistorius did not establish where Miss Steenkamp was and make sure she was okay, and why he would approach the alleged danger zone if he felt vulnerable on his stumps.
Mr Nel said: 'If you spoke to Reeva, the two of you could have taken lots of other steps.'
Supporters applaud the athlete's lawyer Barry Roux and his legal team as they make their way to the trial
A cluster of balloons featuring messages of support and the athlete's name were carried by fans outside court
Pistorius said he thought the perceived threat could strike at any moment: 'There was no time.'
During the cross-examination, Pistorius said Steenkamp did not scream at any point during the incident.
However, the 27-year-old track star said that he may not have heard her cries because of his ears ringing from the first shot.
Several people living nearby have testified to hearing a woman's terrified screams before and during a volley of shots.
'She's awake. She's in the toilet. You're shouting. You're screaming. You're three metres from her. She would have responded. She would not have been quiet, Mr Pistorius,' Mr Nel said.
'She didn't respond, my Lady,' Pistorius replied, addressing judge Thokozile Masipa.
'Did she scream at all whilst you shot her four times?' Mr Nel continued.
'No, my Lady.'
'Are you sure? Are you sure, Mr Pistorius, that Reeva did not scream after the first shot?' Mr Nel continued. 'Are you, Mr Pistorius?'
After a brief silence, Pistorius said: 'My Lady, I wish she had let me know she was there.'
'After you fired the first shot, did she scream?' Mr Nel asked.
'No, my Lady.'
Self-defence claim: Pistorius denies deliberately shooting Reeva Steenkamp, claiming that he mistook her for a dangerous burglar whom he thought was about the burst through the toilet door at him
'Are you sure? Would you have heard her?' Mr Nel asked.
'I don't think I would have heard her.'
'Exactly.'
'A gunshot went off, my ears were ringing,' Pistorius said.
'How can you exclude the fact she was screaming if you couldn't hear?' Mr Nel asked.
'If I couldn't hear it then I couldn't hear,' Pistorius retorted.
'No, you said, Mr Pistorius, she never screamed. You couldn't hear. You're just saying that,' Mr Nel said.
'That is what I'm saying,' Pistorius replied.
'No, that's not what you're saying. You're saying she didn't scream,' Mr Nel followed up.
'My Lady, the sound of that gunshot in the bathroom, you wouldn't have heard anyone scream. The decibels of the gunshot, I don't believe you would have heard anyone scream.
'When I had finished firing the gunshots, I was screaming and I couldn't hear my own voice.'
Pistorius, 27, faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder. He denies all the charges against him.
The trial continues.
SHOCKING TESTIMONY, VOMITING IN THE DOCK AND THE GRISLY TRAIL OF BLOOD THROUGH PISTORIUS'S HOUSE: A TIMELINE OF THE TRIAL SO FAR
March 3: The trial begins with testimony from neighbour Michell Burger who claims she heard 'blood-curdling screams' before gunshots were fired at the time Oscar Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp.
His lawyer Barry Roux says he intends to call a witness to testify that Pistorius screams sounded like a woman in a bid to discredit the claims.
March 4: Pistorius breaks down in court as Mr Roux argues that Miss Steenkamp was so badly brain damaged by the gunshot to her head she couldn't possibly have screamed for help.
Physically sick: Oscar Pistorius vomits into a bucket as the pathologist who carried out the post-mortem on Reeva Steenkamp gave a graphic account of her injuries
March 5: Mr Roux seeks to undermine the testimony of a couple who say they heard a woman's screams and gunfire on the night the athlete shot his girlfriend.
Barry Roux said similarities in the accounts given by husband and wife Michell Burger and Charl Johnson indicated they had aligned their versions at the expense of the truth.
March 6: Pistorius weeps in the dock as a neighbour describes the harrowing moment he tried to resuscitate his girlfriend after she was shot.
Radiologist Johan Stipp dashed to the Paralympian's home after hearing gunshots to find Pistorius kneeling next to Reeva Steenkamp and 'praying to God' that she would survive, the trial heard.
March 8: A former girlfriend who claims Pistorius dumped her for Miss Steenkamp testifies that he once shot at a traffic light because he was furious that a police officer had touched his gun.
March 10: Pistorius vomits in court when a pathologist describes how he shot Miss Steenkamp with so-called cop-killer Black Talon bullets which are designed to 'expand and mushroom' to inflict maximum damage.
Aftermath of the killing: This picture of Oscar Pistorius, bare-chested and covered in blood from the waist down, was taken by police shortly after the Paralympian shot Reeva Steenkamp at his home
Shocking: Blood can be seen down the athlete's left arm and on his shorts apparently from when he carried his dead girlfriend down the stairs after shooting her in the bathroom
March 11: A friend tells the judge that the Paralympian has a 'big love' of weapons and recalls the time the athlete laughed after allegedly firing his gun out of the sunroof of a car.
March 12: A forensic analyst stages a dramatic courtroom reconstruction of the moment Pistorius broke down the toilet door with a cricket bat after shooting Miss Steenkamp.
Police colonel Johannes Vermeulen argued that Pistorius was on his stumps at the time, contradicting the Paralympian's assertion that he was wearing his prosthetic legs.
March 13: Horrific pictures following the trail of blood through Pistorius's house are shown at the trial - including one of his girlfriend's corpse that made the athlete throw up in the dock.
The image of Miss Steenkamp's blood-covered body was accidentally shown while the prosecution was showing other images including the cocked 9mm pistol used to kill the model.
March 14: Dramatic pictures are shown to the court of a bare-chested Pistorius with blood all over his shorts and prosthetic legs shortly after killing his model girlfriend.
March 17: A gun licenser testifies that Pistorius was in the process of buying seven guns - three shotguns, two revolvers, semi-automatic assault rifle and another self-loading rifle - at the time he killed his girlfriend.
The order, which came to $5,000 (£3,000), was cancelled a month after the shooting.
Earlier, the court heard the double-amputee had a 'great love and enthusiasm' for guns and once went into full 'combat mode' after hearing a possible intruder at his home.
The noise turned out to be a washing machine.
Pistorius had also passed self-defence tests that stated you shouldn't fire unless you knew what you are shooting at and what lay behind the target, the trial heard.
Key evidence: Forensic analyst Colonel Johannes Vermeulen stands in front of the toilet door through which Oscar Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp while holding the cricket bat the athlete then used to break it down
March 19: The trial is told that Pistorius looked at porn and car websites the night before he killed Miss Steenkamp.
He breaks down in the dock as a ballistics expert tells Pretoria's High Court that Miss Steenkamp was struck in the hip by the first bullet, then fell back on to a magazine holder by the toilet.
She was then hit by another two bullets which struck her in the right arm and her skull as she crossed her arms over her head to protect herself.
March 20: It is revealed by the runner's lawyer that he has been forced to sell the luxury villa where he shot Miss Steenkamp to raise money to pay for his legal bills.
March 24: The court hears how the 29-year-old model admitted to being scared of the South African track star in text messages sent less than three weeks before her death.
One of them read: 'I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me'. A later text said: 'I can’t be attacked by outsider for dating u and be attacked by you the person I deserve protection from.'
Scene of horror: This newly released photograph shows the blood-soaked bathroom where Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the toilet cubicle (top) with his 9mm pistol (seen lying on a bathmat, right) and the blood-splattered cricket bat (bottom right) he used to break down the toilet door after killing her
March 25: A selfie of Miss Steenkamp blowing a kiss which she sent to Pistorius weeks before he killed her is shown to the court.
March 28: Trial is adjourned until April 7 after one of the judge's two assessors is taken ill in hospital.
April 7: Pistorius takes the witness stand. He starts his testimony with a tearful apology to Miss Steenkamp's family, saying: 'I can’t imagine the pain and the sorrow and the emptiness that I’ve caused you and your family. I was simply trying to protect Reeva.'
He tells the court the shooting has left him plagued by nightmares which he wakes up from 'smelling blood' and that he is taking anti-depressant medication to help with panic attacks.
April 8: Pistorius wails on the stand as he speaks in public for the first time about the moment he killed Miss Steenkamp.
The Paralympian said he heard the noise of the bathroom window opening. 'That's the moment that everything changed,' he said, his voice tense with emotion. 'Before I knew it, I'd fired four shots.'
He wept so uncontrollably the court was forced to adjourn for the day.
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