Trial Discussion Thread #20 - 14.04.08, Day 18

[Val1]

His psychologist that runs to comfort him when he breaks down, was the lady with short silver/blonde hair & glasses, that was sitting next to his sister. She broke down crying herself

Just another Ms.LaV....

 

[Gbtaketwo]

I think he said he had to use the cricket bat to keep it closed?

That's what I thought too . He was covering the damage to the door at the same time ,but am going to go and check again .

 

[soozieqtips]

Interesting question. I imagine it could be adjourned but not abandoned but we would need one of the legal bods on here to pronounce.

Well, he's had over a year to prepare for this, so I doubt an adjournment will make any difference to his state of mind. It might buy him some more breathing space before a verdict is announced, though. Maybe that's what he's after.

 

[curiousjo]

Yes! And this is exactly what I am thinking all along - he goes in this type of details without any obvious reason except to match/answer (in advance) the things that go against him. Did anyone/Roux ask him for how long? No! Why mention it then!? This is exactly why his testimony often seems so fake to me. Like he knows, and is very careful, what to say and mention, and what not to mention! And this, to me, suggests that he is not telling the truth. Because, when you're telling the truth, you don't need to be so obviously careful about what you are saying, right?

Also, I am no longer very impressed with Roux's defense tactics - it just all looks too obvious to me... that OP is prepared 'to a T'... and that he has memorised the story he is now telling, instead of telling it from his memory alone.

Many things would look much more plausable if he didn't go in such detail all by himself; if Roux had to stop him and ask him, for example, 'do you remeber for how long'...

=====
The reason why OP said he held Reeva for some time, is because people are wondering what the delay was in calling for help, as they want us to believe the first shots were the gun (not the latter shots).

 

[Interested Bystander]

Well, he's had over a year to prepare for this, so I doubt an adjournment will make any difference to his state of mind. It might buy him some more breathing space before a verdict is announced, though. Maybe that's what he's after.

Surely a judgement cannot be made until he has been cross examined?

 

[Gbtaketwo]

Surely a judgement cannot be made until he has been cross examined?

This is what I am wondering . It would be very convenient for him if the trial continues without cross exam . He gets to put his side but not clear up discrepancies .

 

[kittychi]

Yes he probably does and I am sure he regrets killing Reeva, but it seems to me that in the main his regret is more to do with the possibility of his being found guilty and having to do a few years in jail.

From how I see it he has no excuse for shooting blind through a door even if to shoot at an intruder without actually seeing one, let alone without having seen a gun and worse still he is now saying he doesn't even know why he shot the gun at all. And he has no excuse not to ensure that the only other person in his house was safely away before blasting off his gun.

And if instead OP had accepted his blame and pleaded guilty to culpable homicide and thrown himself at the mercy of the judge to be lenient (there is no minimum sentence so it could be zero). If he had accepted fully his blame in the two shooting incidents instead of denying them making out friends as liars. If he had apologised to Reeva's family at the beginning, gone to see them, tried to comfort them, help them, and if so inclined pray with them, instead of him being the one with all the family protecting and comforting him. If he had thrown himself into charity work for kids and gun awareness etc. and not even considered as he did at the time returning to competition (I think he only dropped the idea because there was quite a lot of criticism) then I could see clearly he was really repentant not just crying for the possible adverse consequences to him. But he has done none of this and that to me makes me think he is not only a coward when standing up to his actions but that he suffers from a serious lack of moral fibre.

I thought that all along, but could not articulate it as you have. :goodpost:

.

 

[gajonka]

"Between January and September, I consume no alcohol, my lord," Oscar said.

Sure,,, sure,,,

Oh, I cannot wait until we hit cross -

"Enough of this Sunday stroll, let's hurt a little bit!"

- Muzzin, American Flyers (1985)

 

[patCee]

Interesting question. I imagine it could be adjourned but not abandoned but we would need one of the legal bods on here to pronounce.

Well SA have just accepted Dewani, in a questionable mental state, who was flown over from the UK yesterday. I understand he was in court this morning and the matter adjourned till May.

 

[soozieqtips]

Surely a judgement cannot be made until he has been cross examined?

I wouldn't have thought so. I meant if he manages to get it adjourned for a while, all that would do is buy a little time. If the case is adjourned, then the verdict is delayed.

 

[Interested Bystander]

Well SA have just accepted Dewani, in a questionable mental state, who was flown over from the UK yesterday. I understand he was in court this morning and the matter adjourned till May.

He has been in a mental state for three years. I hope Oscar doesn't go down that route to avoid justice.

 

[kittychi]

I wasn't aware there were panic buttons as it's never been mentioned, has it?

We have brought it up here many times, but no, it has never been mentioned by either team.

That tells me it is a moot point, but i would still like confirmation one way or the other. Or for the DT to claim...wait for it...that it was broken.

 

[Val1]

So OP said that he wasn't shouting when he first approached the bathroom? I could have sworn he'd said in his affidavit he was yelling and screaming as he approached the bathroom.

He also said 'there was no light in the bathroom'. I wonder if that means it was broken or simply wasn't on?

https://mobile.twitter.com/barrybateman

OP said no light on in the bathroom which begs the question, how could he possibly have seen well enough into the closed shower at 3am or so to be so sure noone was hiding in there?

 

[Viper]

My Lady was quick to leave the bench when OP started moaning, very quick. She does not want to sit there and observe this spectacle. And she did not seem at all bothered to adjourn early either. So I suspect that one of two things are about to happen. She will continue to take Crybaby breaks and adjourn as needed, if OP looks overwhelmed emotionally, for as long as it takes to finish this man's trial. Or she will admonish him from the bench to compose himself. Either way this trial is not going to stop unless a doctor of medicine, a psychiatrist not a psychologist, testifies that OP needs to be hospitalized for whatever period of time.

 

[Gbtaketwo]

He has been in a mental state for three years. I hope Oscar doesn't go down that route to avoid justice.

I said earlier that I think that is possible.
They can be roommates .
Will just have to see what statements are put out from the court later .

 

[patCee]

Would the trial be adjourned or abandoned if he is sectioned with a breakdown ?

It's a good point, but SA repeatedly adjourned the Dewani trial whilst he was in a the UK for psychiatric treatment. He was flown to SA yesterday for trial, and remanded till May in SA psychiatric hospital.

 

[G.bng]

I wasn't aware there were panic buttons as it's never been mentioned, has it?

Yep, I don't think I'm wrong as it has been mentioned several times. He had the full security package along with a 10ft electrified perimeter wall, 24/7 patrolling guards that to make sure they actually patrol they have to "clock in" at different places along the patrol route.

 

[Interested Bystander]

Pieter Baba mentioned triggering the alarm during his testimony. He said, if OP was that concerned why didn't he trigger the alarm. My words not his. I cannot quite remember exactly what he said but I think I posted it at the time and a link to the video where it shows him saying it.

 

[Interested Bystander]

It's a good point, but SA repeatedly adjourned the Dewani trial whilst he was in a the UK for psychiatric treatment. He was flown to SA yesterday for trial.

SA has now postponed the trial until May due to his mental state.

 

[04009margaret]

No way in hell could you mistake his wailing for a female. The pitch was much deeper. And if he's judged unfit to testify because he can't speak without bawling every minute, then do us all a favour and stick him in a padded cell. He can't get let off this just because he can't speak! Of course he can speak. He's choosing not to, and he's choosing not to at the most convenient times.

I know he can pull himself together after a break, no need to adjourn for the day. The way he walked out of court today proved that