Track star Pistorius vomits during murder trial; judge deems testimony too graphic for live coverage
Oscar Pistorius. Featureflash
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Double-amputee track star Oscar Pistorius repeatedly vomited into a bucket during graphic testimony on Monday in his murder trial for the slaying of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius was calm as testimony continued on Tuesday, but on Monday he “retched into a bucket, … clutching his head in his hands and covering his ears between rounds of weeping, vomiting and dry heaving,” CNN reports. The Associated Press and the New York Times also have stories.
Judge Thokozile Masipa of Pretoria deemed the testimony so graphic that she banned live broadcasting, tweeting and blogging for that portion of the trial. On Tuesday, Masipa lifted the ban on live blogging and tweeting, explaining that “someone was kind enough to give me more information about blogging and tweeting,” CNN says.
Pathologist Gert Saayman testified that Steenkamp suffered three gunshot wounds early on Valentine’s Day 2013, and any of them could have killed her. Pistorius maintains he thought he was shooting at an intruder when he fired his gun through the bathroom door.
Saayman testified it was unlikely that Steenkamp was standing when she was shot in the skull, given the angle of the bullet, according to the CNN account. Saayman was careful to add that Steenkamp’s head could have been in various positions when the bullet struck in a downward trajectory, according to Yahoo Sports.
