Trial Discussion Thread #20 - 14.04.08, Day 18

[Viper]

Mrs. Stipp said three then three. I think that's what her husband said as well, but can't be sure about that one.

Not to worry, Roux and Co have read the witness's evidence and prepared OP to say exactly what will fit best with their testimonies, including the number of bat strikes. That much was clear.

Also, when OP said he held Reeva and he screamed and cried for, quote: "I can't remember know how long."

 

[zwiebel]

Isn't it a bit strange that OP says he just 'sat' there when he got to Reeva, and doesn't know how long for, and 'she wasn't breathing' - but then (presumably) quite a while later, he carries her downstairs; And only then tries to resuscitate her, when other people are present?

 

[Carol70]

I don't know how he can get through this.

Jaysus, he is never going to make it through Nels cross.

Grief, Im actually stunned at todays events! I have lots of thoughts running through my mind.

 

[canny]

With today's testimony he has rewritten his sworn affidavit.His ears were ringing that why he never heard Reeva's blood curling petrifying screams of pain and agony.The defense argument of the first bullet hitting her in the head has been conveniently discarded.

 

[jay-jay]

Well, no surprise there, since his actions ruined his life, too..

But something else is interesting - how he remembers exactly how many times he hit the door - he said he hit it 3 times. This is odd to me, that he would remember the exact number of times he hit the door, in this state of shock and panic that he says he was in?

This again looks to me like it is tailored to match what the wittnesses stated that they heard, 3 bangs after the screams, does it not??

It does indeed.

 

[Bazinga]

He sounded like a man to me. Quite a deep tone.

Yes, I think his voice is quite low and muffled. I can't imagine anyone mistaking his crying as that of a woman.

 

[Sarahlou]

I think he had genuine sorrow there...for himself. The thoughts that his false IMO story might not work and his life will be over would be pretty intense.

 

[Gbtaketwo]

It does indeed.

I have no sympathy for his performance today . He put himself in this position
The only people I have sympathy for are Reeva's family .
I cannot begin to imagine how they must have felt during all this .

 

[loohoo]

Not sure these points have already been mentioned - too much to try to catch up on! Some discrepancies that really stuck out for me:

- He says he whispered to Reeva to call the police before entering the bathroom; it seems extremely negligent and unlikely to me that he wouldn't have waited for a response or felt around to see if she was there before pursuing the "intruder"

- He says he heard the toilet door "slam" - if Reeva had gone to the toilet innocently, she likely wouldn't have "slammed" the door

- He says no lights were on in there at all; why in the world would Reeva have gone to the toilet innocently without turning on a single light?

- Just before the break this afternoon he said he didn't want to shout out as he approached the toilet door due to fear that the intruder would jump out at him; however, following the break he said he approached the door "screaming."

- After shooting, he said he ran back into the bedroom with his gun in his hand to check on Reeva; realizing what may have happened, he put on his prosthetics and ran back to the bathroom then "must have placed the gun on the bathroom floor"... would he not have put the gun down in the bedroom while putting on his prosthetics?

- Reeva's birthday is on August 19th, not August 18th as he stated (when he opened the present she got him for V-day)

So much of his testimony doesn't add up to me. The State will have a lot to work with here.

 

[patCee]

Nel will have a hard time on his hands with this carry on. I'm thinking of the numerous people who have survived terrible tragedies in their lives and are able to speak about them calmly sometimes afterwards. We are now 1 year on and I suspect this is not so much about how he killed RS, but the imminent consequences for him. If he really believes this was a genuine accident, why all the wailing and sobbing? I would expect a few tears, but not this. It's his chance to say what happened and prove his account, not expose himself as incapable. I'm finding it hard to feel any sympathy.

 

[jay-jay]

He did say "I think". But then he did repeat (about three times?) about hitting the door, three times.

I was interested that the first hit with the bat took that little sliver out, just enough for him to see Reeva. I always wondered if that hit came before the shots were fired, maybe.

I thought that when I heard him say that .. I'm thinking Viper may have been right all along!

 

[TrueDetective]

Why are they so willing to adjourn? Thats both days cut short already. This is a trial and he has to pull himself together or there should be repercussions. He is a grown man, not a child. He gets no sympathy from me. It is pathetic. He has had over a year to deal with this and prepare for it. Yes, it is and should be distressing but he should have a responsibility to the court to get through it like a man.
If I was the judge I would tell him that no further adjournments will be allowed and if he continues to attention seek (especially when the victim's family have to constantly keep their powerful emotions of anger and sadness in check.) it will be seen as contempt of court.
To me, it is typical behaviour of an entitled, selfish and immature individual who blames others and courts attention and sympathy.

I don't buy it and I'm angry with the judge AND Nel for allowing it and not insisting on a brief break and speedy resumption to proceedings.
He's able to walk out of court now so he should be able to sit in a chair and talk.
Also fed up of the media constantly talking about OP's feelings and behaviour.
Get over it now or close the case and go direct to sentencing.
It is contempt of court time IMHO.

 

[Melanie]

Jaysus, he is never going to make it through Nels cross.

Grief, Im actually stunned at todays events! I have lots of thoughts running through my mind.

His attorneys need to reign him in, or mi lady (or Nel) need to object to leaving early. Give him a 15 minute break to change and clean up his vomit bucket. If not, he will do this everyday.

I'm trying to think of a defendant who behaved this way before, but I just can't.

MOO

Mel

 

[Patagonia]

Isn't it a bit strange that OP says he just 'sat' there when he got to Reeva, and doesn't know how long for

This could serve to 'justify' all that time that passed until his first phonecall...

 

[steveml]

Well, no surprise there, since his actions ruined his life, too..

But something else is interesting - how he remembers exactly how many times he hit the door - he said he hit it 3 times. This is odd to me, that he would remember the exact number of times he hit the door, in this state of shock and panic that he says he was in?

This again looks to me like it is tailored to match what the wittnesses stated that they heard, 3 bangs after the screams, does it not??

I can only remember one set of witnesses around the time of 3.00am waking up to screams (Michelle Burger) and distressed voices (Charl Johnson), although these live furthest away.
More than twice the distance from OP's than the Stipps.

 

[soozieqtips]

I think his well-timed inability to get through more than a few sentences at a time without wailing, blubbering, heaving etc etc, is just part of his whole plan to get the judge to see him as the remorseful victim. I have no doubt that the thought of him going to prison for any length of time could easily bring on an attack of wailing. He's been on the stand twice, and twice the court has been adjourned because of him. His wailing (to me) sounded like some of the screaming tantrums my daughter had when she was a toddler, which soon stopped if she thought there was a chance of a sweet. Point being, I didn't get the feeling OP's howling like a banshee was genuine. I think being held to account is finally hitting home, and every time he has to explain what drove him to murder his girlfriend, he thinks :jail: - and hence all the blubbing start yet again. If he seriously can't get through telling the court what happened that night, then he shouldn't be on the stand wasting everyone's time while dragging it out for poor Reeva's family.

 

[BritsKate]

Rebecca Davis ‏@becsplanb 8m
Dark. RT @jonathangmeyer: @becsplanb Can you rate his pain on a scale of Zero to Black Talon?

https://twitter.com/becsplanb

 

[patCee]

Why are they so willing to adjourn? Thats both days cut short already. This is a trial and he has to pull himself together or there should be repercussions. He is a grown man, not a child. He gets no sympathy from me. It is pathetic. He has had over a year to deal with this and prepare for it. Yes, it is and should be distressing but he should have a responsibility to the court to get through it like a man.
If I was the judge I would tell him that no further adjournments will be allowed and if he continues to attention seek (especially when the victim's family have to constantly keep their powerful emotions of anger and sadness in check.) it will be seen as contempt of court.
To me, it is typical behaviour of an entitled, selfish and immature individual who blames others and courts attention and sympathy.

I don't buy it and I'm angry with the judge AND Nel for allowing it and not insisting on a brief break and speedy resumption to proceedings.
He's able to walk out of court now so he should be able to sit in a chair and talk.
Also fed up of the media constantly talking about OP's feelings and behaviour.
Get over it now or close the case and go direct to sentencing.
It is contempt of court time IMHO.

In other words, 'man up'

 

[jay-jay]

Not always.

Well you can keep on doing that, and just doing a tit for tat thing with me but I think you will find that all of the DA/DV agencies would agree with what I said. Of course you might find the odd case where the abuser is not sorry for what they've done, but the majority of them are and it's a classic indicator of an abuser and their manipulative ways.

 

[zwiebel]

Is there a recording of this afternoon's session up anywhere yet? I want to hear the beginning bit I missed.