Reeva
Steenkamp’s father has spoken of his pain at not being able to save his
daughter the night she was shot dead by her boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius.
The
South African athlete says he accidentally killed his model girlfriend
after mistaking her for an intruder and opening fire through a door, but
the prosecution say it was pre-mediated.
Barry Steenkamp, in an emotional interview, revealed that the incident was the third tragedy in her life.
Heartache: Reeva Steenkamp's mother
and father, June and Barry, have spoken of their anguish over their
daughter's death, revealing that the shooting was 'the third tragedy in
her life'
Trial: Oscar Pistorius (right) is accused of murdering Reeva Steenkamp (left) on Valentine's Day 2013
He told Hello!
Magazine: ‘She [Reeva] had three tragedies in her life – I was there
for her the first and second time, but I wasn’t there for the third.
‘After
she had her tonsils taken out when she was five, something went wrong
and she almost bled to death. Then, when she was 19, she went riding on
our farm. The horse stumbled, she came off and it fell on top of her,
breaking her back. Luckily I was there, put her in the car and dashed to
hospital.’
Reeva’s
mother, June, in the same interview, revealed details about the
dreadful moment she was told about the death of her daughter.
The news came at 7am on February 15, 2013, the day after she was shot from Detective Hilton Botha.
Oscar Pistorius, left, talks with a defense team member in court in Pretoria on Monday
She
said: ‘I became hysterical. Then I had to tell Barry. His reaction… it
was too terrible. We both went into what can only be described as a
walking coma.’
June
added that when Reeva’s body was flown home she could only see her
face, as the body was wrapped in sheets and a pale scarf.
She
said: ‘She still looked beautiful. I kissed her and whispered “I love
you, darling, and I’m going to miss you”. Then I collapsed.’
Reeva's death has taken its toll on her father, Barry, who has suffered a stroke and been unable to attend the court hearings.
Trial: Pistorius, left, speaks with a woman in court
The interview came as the trial entered its 38th day in Pretoria’s High Court.
The
chief prosecutor in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius on Monday
challenged the credibility of a physician who testified that the athlete
has an anxious nature linked to his disability.
Prosecutor
Gerrie Nel on Monday said the defense witness, physician Wayne Derman,
could not be objective about the double-amputee runner.
The
defense maintains that Pistorius has a deep sense of vulnerability
because of his disability and a fear of crime, and it was a factor in
the killing because he opened fire after thinking an intruder was in his
house.
Pistorius studies a document in court as he waits for the trial to get under way
Under
questioning, Derman acknowledged that his testimony did not amount to a
"forensic report" but disputed Nel's assertion that he could not give
credible evidence because he was too familiar with Pistorius, having
treated him over many years and traveled with him extensively.
On
Sunday, an Australian broadcaster showed video footage of Pistorius
participating in a re-enactment of how he says events unfolded on the
night he killed Steenkamp. In the video, Pistorius is seen walking on
his stumps with an arm outstretched and fist clenched, as though holding
a gun. It also shows Pistorius carrying a woman. It is unclear where
the re-enactment was filmed.
The
broadcast by Channel Seven prompted criticism from a lawyer for
Pistorius who said the re-enactment was made with the help of a
U.S.-based company last year as part of the defense team's trial
preparations. The video has not been shown at the trial.
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