Oscar Pistorius Details His Defense In The Murder Of Reeva SteenKamp

Oscar Pistorius, charged with the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, claimed to have thought he was shooting at an intruder at his court hearing on Tuesday in Pretoria, South Africa.

Pistorius finally had the opportunity to tell his version of the events the day that Steenkamp was shot dead in his Pretoria home in court today. The Olympic athlete claimed that he believed he had heard an intruder in his house in the middle of the night. Feeling vulnerable without his prosthetic legs, Pistorius said he armed himself with his 9mm pistol and moved toward the bathroom before firing four shots into the locked door.

Pistorius’ lawyer read the affidavit, which details Pistorius' defense, to Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair. In it, Pistorius also accounted for the bloody cricket bat found at the scene. He asserted that after putting on his prosthetics and failing to succeed in kicking down the door, he used the bat to break it down. After breaking his way into the bathroom, Pistorius claimed he picked up Steenkamp who “was slumped over but alive" and brought her downstairs to try to help her. "I tried to render the assistance to Reeva that I could, but she died in my arms," he said in the statement according to CNN. "I am absolutely mortified by the events and the devastating loss of my beloved Reeva."

Prosecutors are wary of Pistorius’ story, and are pressing for the harsher charge of premeditated murder. They believe that Pistorius first put on his prosthetic legs, determinedly picked up his gun with the intent to kill and knowingly shot Steenkamp. The prosecutors allege that Steenkamp locked herself in the bathroom to hide from Pistorius after the couple engaged in a heated argument and that the athlete’s response was to fire on her.

Throughout the proceedings, Pistorius struggled to maintain his composure, causing the magistrate to ask the suspect to collect himself before they continued on at one point. He is asking to be released on bail, contesting that he poses no threat to the public. No decision was made in court yesterday, as the prosecutors have asked for more time to review Pistorius’ affidavit. The decision is likely to be announced when the hearing resumes on Wednesday, Feb. 20.