17 Oct 2014
Nel cites Dewani extradition again as proof SA prisons are able to hold Pistorius.
17 Oct 2014
OP apparently looks tense, sore-eyed.
17 Oct 2014
So yes, Pistorius will know his fate, he will be sentenced next Tuesday.
17 Oct 2014
We will re-convene on Tuesday, 21 October 2014.
That's next week.
Court adjourns.
17 Oct 2014
Masipa thanks both counsel. She's very impressed with how they conducted themselves throughout the trial.
17 Oct 2014
If one can get by with a little bench, the surely in a prison cell one can do the same. - Nel
17 Oct 2014
Roux, on employment, says Vergeer says they help people and urge that they find work, if not back to court.
17 Oct 2014
Roux on money. Look at press release. It was not the accused offering money left, right and centre for the purposes of sentencing.
17 Oct 2014
Roux wants to point out five mistakes. He starts with the railing in the shower. He says there's a built-in bench in the shower.
17 Oct 2014
Nel wants minimum of 10 years imprisonment.
17 Oct 2014
My lady, that is my argument. The matter is so serious, in the interests of society, the accused must get prison time - Nel
17 Oct 2014
Nel: if we have a correctional service that can't cater for him, we come back...but Modise made it clear they can cater for him.
Nel also says there's no basis to say that OP's legs will be taken away from him in jail.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: We have he may or may not go back to athletics, he may or may not work for his uncle. "What would he do?"
17 Oct 2014
Nel: I find it difficult to understand why the court will deal with this accused differently.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: As far as this accused is conceded, he created a more dangerous situation by firing into the door.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: In Vorster case - even he did not foresee that he might shoot someone.
17 Oct 2014
Nel :We argue that the only reasonable sentence will be a long term of imprisonment.
17 Oct 2014
Masipa assures Nel, Roux's paragraphs about the media will be disregarded.
17 Oct 2014
Nel suggests OP has only himself to blame if he chooses to follow negative media coverage of his own trial.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: No-one caused Mr Pistorius to read the media.
17 Oct 2014
Nel says Vergeer conducted telephonic interviews with unidentified persons whereas Modise had visited international prisons and 35 years of service.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: Why would Vergeer have outdated statistics and not current statistics?
17 Oct 2014
Nel says State will argue that Vergeer's testimony was, basically, paltry.
17 Oct 2014
Nel says as bad a witness as Annette Vergeer was, such a good witness Modise turned out to be.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: Going out to nightclub, whatever happened, was not something a remorseful person would do.
17 Oct 2014
Nel points out that OP's house had no railing in the shower or in the toilet. But for prison, suddenly he'll need railings.
17 Oct 2014
Accused has coped brilliantly in life - he wanted to compete with able-bodied athletes, now 'shamelessly' uses disability.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: Remorse is when an accused verbalises that he's sorry he fired shots through the door knowing there was someone behind it.
17 Oct 2014
Nel says the accused's remorse isn't convincing - the fact that he's sorry she's dead can never be remorse.
17 Oct 2014
Nel says he accepts the court's judgment but...
17 Oct 2014
Nel moves on to personal circumstances of the accused. 'We have a poor witness with a plethora of versions.'
17 Oct 2014
Nel: Remove this case from the spectrum of a momentary lapse of concentration. It's on the other side of the spectrum.
17 Oct 2014
Nel on OP: I arm myself, I approach the bathroom with the intention to shoot. And then he shot her.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: His actions overshadow all other cases quoted by the defence in their heads of argument.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: He is not a victim. He cannot be a victim. He caused it!
17 Oct 2014
His conduct tore a loved one from her family, it broke that family. He wants the court to believe that he's a victim. Feel sorry for me, the media victimised ME, when I want them to show what a great athlete I am, they're fine but not during my trial, says a clearly angry Nel.
I wonder if Nel is still feeling stung by Masipa's judgment.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: If he wasn't negligent, she would have been alive. Court should take that into account. His whole conduct was negligent.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: If the accused acted like a reasonable person, acted like a normal partner asking if RS had heard anything, she would have been alive.
17 Oct 2014
Nel points out that Masipa herself found there were aspects of Pistorius case that "did not make sense..and we will never get answers".
17 Oct 2014
We're not dealing with a car accident, an assault, we're dealing with OP firing four shots into a toilet cubicle. - Nel
17 Oct 2014
Punishment should acknowledge the sanctity of human life, says Nel.
17 Oct 2014
When somebody dies, there's nothing more serious - Nel
17 Oct 2014
Nel: The size of the toilet; bullet calibre; ability to foresee; acted hastily; and used excessive force.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: I asked "did you think of firing a warning a shot into the shower". OP answered that the shot would have hit him.
17 Oct 2014
Nel lists a number of factors to be conditions that must be considered in determining degree of negligence.
17 Oct 2014
Nel: Reasonable foreseeable consequences play a role and must be taken into account...
17 Oct 2014
Nel quotes from judgment in Naidoo culpable homicide case.
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