'Thank you to those that have picked me up through everything': Oscar Pistorius tweets fans as judge retires to consider verdict in his murder trial

Oscar Pistorius thanked his family and those who have 'picked me up through everything' after the judge retired to consider her verdict in his murder trial.
Both teams of lawyers wrapped up their cases today at the end of a months-long case that has seen Pistorius vomit, retch and break down in tears on several occasions in court.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel ended proceedings by making a final plea for the South African athlete to 'face the consequences' of shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Judge Thokozile Masipa, only the second black woman to be appointed a high court judge in post-apartheid South Africa, will now analyse more than 4,000 pages of evidence before delivering her verdict on September 11.

Case wrapped up: Oscar Pistorius leaves court as the judge retires to consider her verdict in his murder trial

Emotional journey: Both teams of lawyers wrapped up their cases today at the end of a months-long case that has seen Pistorius vomit, retch and break down in tears on several occasions in court

Grateful: Pistorius tweeted his family and fans to thank them for their support after the hearing

After the hearing, Pistorius took to Twitter to express his to his relatives and fans for their support.
He tweeted: 'Thank you to my loved ones and those that have been there for me, who have picked me up and helped me through everything.'
Earlier, as his lawyers prepared for their final chance to prove his innocence, the double-amputee was given a warm embrace from his estranged father, Henke, in court.
The pair have barely seen each other over the last year after Pistorius distanced himself from inflammatory comments his father made after his son was charged with murder.
Henke was accused of racism by South Africa's governing black ANC after he appeared to blame high levels of violent crime against whites on the party.
Double amputee Pistorius, 27, once a national icon for reaching the pinnacle of sport, is accused of murdering Steenkamp, a law graduate and model, at his home in Pretoria on St Valentine's Day last year.

Loving embrace: Oscar Pistorius gets a hug from his estranged father Henke ahead of today's hearing

Moral support: Pistorius chats with his uncle Arnold, aunt Lois, while his sister Aimee (far right) hugs a relative ahead of closing arguments at the murder trial in Pretoria

Icy: Pistorius looks straight at Reeva Steenkamp's parents June and Barry as he enters court

Anxious: Reeva Steenkamp's parents June and Barry wait to hear more details of their daughter's death

The defence says Pistorius, nicknamed the Blade Runner after his carbon-fibre prosthetic running legs, shot Miss Steenkamp through a locked toilet door in self-defence, believing she was an intruder.
Mr Nel has spent the trial, which began in March, portraying Pistorius as a gun-obsessed hothead who deliberately shot Steenkamp, 29, four times as she was taking refuge in the toilet after an argument.
Cutting through months of complex evidence and testimony, Mr Nel ended proceedings by returning to his core argument.
'He knew there was a human being in the toilet. That's his evidence,' Mr Nel told the judge.
'His intention was to kill a human being. He's fired indiscriminately into that toilet. Then m'lady, he is guilty of murder. There must be consequences.'
Defence lawyer Barry Roux said during his own wrapping-up that psychological evidence had proven the track star had a heightened fight response because of his disability and was in a terrified and vulnerable state when he shot Steenkamp.

Pistorius' defence lawyer begins closing arguments in trial

Re-enactment: Defence lawyer Barry Roux gives his closing arguments in the murder trial

Relaxed: The Paralympian take a sip of water in the dock before the start of the hearing

'You're standing at that door. You're vulnerable. You're anxious. You're trained as an athlete to react.
'Take all those factors into account,' Roux said, adding that Pistorius had felt exposed because he was standing on the stumps of his legs.
'He stands with his finger on the trigger, ready to fire when ready.
'In some instances a person will fire reflexively,' he added. 'That is your primal instinct.'
Roux also argued that prosecutors had only called witnesses who supported their argument and not other key people, including police officers, who he said would have undermined their case.
On Thursday, Mr Nel said Pistorius had told 'a snowball of lies' and had called for the track star to be convicted of intentional murder, a crime that could land him with a life sentence.
A potential lesser charge of culpable homicide - comparable to manslaughter - could carry a sentence of about 15 years.
Pistorius also faces three separate charges, including two counts of discharging firearms in public and possession of illegal ammunition, all of which he denies.

Tense: Oscar Pistorius arrives at court as his lawyers prepare to finish their closing argument in his trial

Last chance: Defence lawyer Barry Roux arrives for the closing arguments of the athlete's murder trial

To arrive at a verdict, Masipa and her two assistants will have to weigh up the credibility of testimony on both sides, including that of Pistorius, who endured more than a week of torrid cross-examination during which he broke down repeatedly.
In the absence of a jury, experts say the crux of the case is whether Masipa accepts or rejects his version of events.
Mr Nel has called for Pistorius's evidence to be thrown out because it was 'devoid of any truth' and the athlete contradicted himself when he said during cross-examination that he fired both accidentally and deliberately.
Mr Roux said the trial should only ever have been on the charge of culpable homicide, rather than murder, because he said Pistorius had clearly shot Steenkamp by mistake.

'An inspiration': A banner supporting the athlete is unfurled outside the high court in Pretoria

Mr Nel and Mr Roux have focused much of their closing arguments on evidence from witnesses who say they heard a woman scream before a volley of shots, supporting the prosecution's position that the couple had an argument before Steenkamp was killed.
Mr Roux went through the early morning of the shooting minute-by-minute during his wrapping-up, arguing that the witnesses were confused and contradictory about the sounds they heard.
He also spent time analysing photos he said proved the police had moved items in the couple's bedroom, countering a key claim by Nel that images of the room proved that Pistorius' version of the events was impossible.
The courtroom duelling between Mr Nel and Mr Roux, both dynamic advocates with contrasting styles, has added to the drama in a trial that has captivated audiences around the world.
Mr Nel, known as 'The Pitbull' because of his fierce cross-examination style and penchant for the dramatic, has been the perfect foil to Mr Roux, whose meticulous eye for detail has put the squeeze on even the most composed prosecution witnesses.
The fathers of both Pistorius and Steenkamp were in court for the first time this week.
The track star's aunt embraced Steenkamp's father before the trial resumed on Friday.

PICTURED: CRASH THAT LEFT PISTORIUS'S BROTHER FIGHTING FOR LIFE

Oscar Pistorius's older brother Carl remains on a ventilator after a car crash in South Africa last week.
The Pistorius family said in a statement that Carl Pistorius was still intensive care in the capital Pretoria 'due to the serious nature of the injuries sustained in the accident'.
In a brief update without giving details of his injuries, the family added: 'He is stable and showing signs of improvement.'
They said previously that Carl was 'out of danger.' 

Crumpled: Oscar Pistorius's brother Carl remains in intensive care after he was involved in this crash

Collision: The Pistorius family said in a statement that Carl Pistorius remained on a ventilator 'due to the serious nature of the injuries sustained in the accident'

He reportedly sustained multiple fractures in a head-on collision on a highway in northern South Africa as he returned from a business trip on Friday night. 
His uncle, Arnold Pistorius, said last week that a car swerved onto the wrong side of the highway and hit Carl's vehicle head-on in the crash. 
Carl and younger sister Aimee have regularly been at their brother's side during his trial for the alleged premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Weeks after Oscar was charged with murder last year, Carl Pistorius went on trial in a city south of Johannesburg accused of culpable homicide for his involvement in another road accident in 2008. 
In that crash, a female motorcyclist collided with Carl's vehicle and died days later.
Carl was acquitted of all charges.

Shock: Carl's father, Henke, visits his son at the Pretoria East Hospital last week

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