Trial Discussion Thread #30

[Emz73]

Apparently I did not lol

He was forever on our TV over the Olympics and after. Anyone into sport loved him, papers, gossip mags etc. Our papers love a good looking disabled person....was abit patronising. Then he killed his girlfriend...the papers nearly wet themselves.

 

[jay-jay]

It's an odd thing to misremember. I've never known quite what to make of that. I also suspect that Baba misremembered Oscar's exact words. Oscar's claim and Baba's initial statement were more along the lines of "I'm fine" rather than "Everything is fine."

Well "I'm fine" is still a rather odd thing to say when you've just killed your girlfriend, too, so I don't think there is a huge amount of difference.

 

[TorisMom003]

:truce:

The fact that he was even thinking about competing was the error of judgement.

It's that entitled issue again. Who cares if he was placed under arrest for killing Reeva. Who cares if he is going on trial for her murder. The man wants to run, compete, still be famous! The rest, the trial and killing, those are just minor inconveniences that should be ignored or overlooked.

MOO

 

[soozieqtips]

On the morning OP was arrested, the police said that they would be opposing bail in the most strongest terms (and obv by saying that, they were clearly highly suspicious of OP and his claim that he mistook Reeva for an intruder) -->> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmgHagenChA It's a pity that never actually happened, and he's been able to live this past year in the lap of luxury.

BBM - Ah, but don't forget OP said he'd had to put his life on hold so he could come and defend himself. How inconvenient for him to have to attend his own murder trial, and how sad that he didn't get to do more than swan off on holiday enjoying his freedom and even meeting a new g/friend... all while his life was on hold.

 

[TorisMom003]

Well "I'm fine" is still a rather odd thing to say when you've just killed your girlfriend, too, so I don't think there is a huge amount of difference.

Especially when that call took place AFTER the call to Netcare. You know, the one where OP can't remember what HE told THEM but he can remember that they told him to bring her to hospital instead of waiting for an ambulance.

 

[JuneBug67]

It's that entitled issue again. Who cares if he was placed under arrest for killing Reeva. Who cares if he is going on trial for her murder. The man wants to run, compete, still be famous! The rest, the trial and killing, those are just minor inconveniences that should be ignored or overlooked.

MOO

I'm not sure we would apply that judgement to a more ordinary person who desired to return to work and a normal routine in the year plus he or she awaited trial.

 

[lithgow1]

Because he was in a blind panic and not thinking like someone who is not in a blind panic perhaps?

With all due respect what exactly do you mean by a 'blind panic'? That makes him sound more like a horse than a human. And what was his justification for such panicking? He heard a window opening!?!

Putting to one side that his whole story is made up, even by his 'version' he acted totally unreasonably and that won't go unnoticed by those that ultimately matter IMO.

 

[jay-jay]

Turns out it wasn't an error in judgment though, because he didn't flee or make any attempt to avoid prosecution.

Well, he wouldn't flee anyway because he believes in his own mind that he is innocent (i.e. he now believes his own lie) .. he is desperate to prove his innocence. This is classic abuser behaviour .. just like how my abuser never, ever fled the scene whenever I called the police, and I could never quite understand why to start off with. He just used to sit and wait for them to come, and then would be all polite and friendly with them .. I always used to think that if that were me, I would've b*ggered off before they got there, but then of course, that would prove guilt if he was to have fled the scene and he always wanted to make sure that he was seen by the police to be in the clear, when he clearly wasn't (and the police weren't stupid either, because they knew, each and every time that it was him who was the problem .. they are trained in this, thank god).

 

[soozieqtips]

The words came from Baba's initial statement that was read in court. The words were something like "he said he was okay". I should have said Roux's claim on behalf of Oscar...sorry.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-cou...s-testimony-under-fire-1.1658742#.U1WPwSe9KSM

BBM - Yes.

Roux invented words that OP 'said' and then tried to put those words in Baba's mouth - even though OP claimed he didn't remember speaking any words to Baba!

 

[james83]

I'm not sure we would apply that judgement to a more ordinary person who desired to return to work and a normal routine in the year plus he or she awaited trial.

But saying that a more ordinary person would have had no chance of being granted bail.

 

[Cherwell]

I know how I would do it.

Record Oscar screaming like a woman.

Bring it into court.

Play it for the Judge.

Or more usefully, play it to the witnesses who heard the screaming! Aint gonna happen, is it.

 

[BritsKate]

It's really not uncommon for a defendant to request a modification of bail conditions after some time with no problems.

I think in this case it raises ire because he admitted to killing her...yes, I know...presumption of innocence and all that - but to many in the public I think it could look like another example of celebrity favoritism. And in hindsight it could appear, if one were so inclined, as yet another example of him shirking any responsibility even though he did kill her. Even if it was truly an accident, it would have been less distasteful, imo, for him to concede and at least appear contrite while awaiting trial.

Never mind being his attorney...I feel most sorry for his PR rep!

 

[Rumpole]

so....

If Oscar had "fled the country" that would be PROOF of his guilt.

The fact that he did not flee the country is..... Proof of his guilt.

See how things go when you view everything with a presumption of guilt?

 

[soozieqtips]

Or more usefully, play it to the witnesses who heard the screaming! Aint gonna happen, is it.

BBM - Depends if Dixon's in charge of sound :floorlaugh:

 

[TorisMom003]

I'm not sure we would apply that judgement to a more ordinary person who desired to return to work and a normal routine in the year plus he or she awaited trial.

He wasn't training at the time. Very difficult to run a race when one hasn't trained in a while. And if that was the only thing that he wanted changed in regards to his bail, I might agree with you. But it wasn't. He also wanted to be able to drink, even though according to Uncle Arnold (who must be kept in the dark apparently) OP doesn't drink. He didn't want to have to report to police every two weeks, instead they now come to him whenever they do. He wanted to be able to go back to his home, ya know to talk to his neighbors (can someone say tampering with witnesses???). OP had his lawyers claim that running/racing was his only form of income. But then perhaps by then all of his sponsors had dropped him so that money was no longer flowing to him. But OP also has/had (not sure if they have been sold yet or not) race horses that he owned as well. They make money.

Yes, I still think it's that entitlement issue rearing it's nasty little head yet again.

MOO

 

[zoran]

From an article in Sports Illustrated:

"Oscar Pistorius has been spending time with people who were close to the girlfriend he shot and killed on Valentine's Day, the Olympian's family said Thursday in an indication that Pistorius is becoming more active while awaiting trial on a murder charge.

The family of Pistorius has stated that the runner was traumatized and in mourning over what he said was the mistaken shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, but relatives and associates have increasingly signaled that Pistorius is emerging from what a spokeswoman described as isolation.

"Over the past few weeks, Oscar has found comfort in spending time and sharing memories with many of those whom she loved, in surroundings where shared memories were created," the family said in a statement Thursday."


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20130411/oscar-pistorius-bail.ap/

I'm wondering who those friends of Reeva's are. Perhaps more like OP's friends that sortof knew Reeva but still support him. Because I can't see many, if any, of Reeva's true friends (like Gina) spending time with him.

MOO

A blatant attempt to try and show Reevas friends think that he is innocent of all charges....unbelievable

 

[JuneBug67]

Well "I'm fine" is still a rather odd thing to say when you've just killed your girlfriend, too, so I don't think there is a huge amount of difference.

My initial reaction to the testimony was not favourable to Pistorius. But on some consideration the fact was he really didn't need estate security for this situation. He needed medical assistance for Reeva and as he had just shot her to death I can have some empathy for the fact that his instinct was not to draw more people to the terrible scene he had created. "I'm fine" was essentially true in terms of OP's immediate needs. "Everything is fine" is a bit harder to justify.

 

[BritsKate]

BBM - Yes.

Roux invented words that OP 'said' and then tried to put those words in Baba's mouth - even though OP claimed he didn't remember speaking any words to Baba!

Didn't Baba also make a second statement too correcting the first? I remember he said he'd been really tired and had come off a 24 hour shift, I think?

 

[TorisMom003]

My initial reaction to the testimony was not favourable to Pistorius. But on some consideration the fact was he really didn't need estate security for this situation. He needed medical assistance for Reeva and as he had just shot her to death I can have some empathy for the fact that his instinct was not to draw more people to the terrible scene he had created. "I'm fine" was essentially true in terms of OP's immediate needs. "Everything is fine" is a bit harder to justify.

Then why did OP call THEM?

 

[Lyra500]

So he didn't have a vacation in Mozambique last December then?

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/oscar-s-uncle-wants-to-take-him-to-moz-1.1484657

.. also, just to post a couple of quotes from that article, which I find truly astonishing (well, no I don't find them astonishing, to be honest) ..


Amazing. Who does he think he is?

I believe he did have all of those bail conditions relaxed. The one I thought was particularly poor was the fact that he was allowed to approach his neighbours "because they might testify against him". Isn't that called witness tampering in this country?