Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee that is at the center of a murder trial for the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has testified that he did not consciously pull the trigger at the night of incident. Pistorius had shot Steenkamp through a closed bathroom door in 2013, saying he feared that an intruder was at the other side, according to a report by CNN.
"I didn't think about pulling the trigger. As soon as I heard the noise, before I could think, I pulled the trigger," he said.
The statement came after the prosecution ended five days of cross-examination, noting that the shooting happened after the two had a heated argument. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel repeatedly challenged the athlete's account of the incident, saying that Pistorius had been tailoring his tale to suit himself. Pistorius has denied these contentions.
According to NBC News, Nel asked the 27-year-old Olympian who he blamed for what happened, to which he answered "Myself. I blame myself for taking Reeva's life. I fired because I got a fright. I never intended to shoot anyone."
The defense closed its re-examination of Pistorius by handing the court a Valentine's Day card that Steenkamp wrote to Pistorius, where she wrote "I think today is a good tday to tell you that I love you." The defense is expected to call 14 to 17 witnesses. The trial is set to continue until mid-May 2014.
Judge Thokozile Masipa will then decide on the case alongside two assessors. There are no jury trials in South Africa.
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