Trial Discussion Thread #56 - 14.15.10, Day 45 ~ sentencing~

[PrimeSuspect]

I can't make out how OP is having to brush past those people where they are sitting on the benches .. he is sitting on his own in the middle of his own bench .. why the heck did he need to be walking through the bit where ST or JM was sitting??

Intimidation tactics. Typical abuser, imo.

 

[jay-jay]

On lunch now till 1.30. Nel wanted long break.

Before we left, Nel said he had four witnesses. Judge said, 'Four!' sounding surprised and disapproving. So Nel amended it to three, then judge said she wasn't trying to influence him, and Nel amended that to 'three or four, but they won't be long Milady'.

I am not sure judge is right to make Nel feel he has to rush, really. This is too important.

Another reason why Nel should've kept his cross-examination with that last DT witness shorter and more succinct .. he has left less time now for his own witnesses, which is not great (unless he's done it so that the DT have less to to CE them, I don't know ..)

 

[K.T]

hmmmmm if they were witnesses we know what that would be called...........

Exactly.

Right now, I'm hoping that Nel is currently working on his extra time to persuade one or better yet ALL of them to testify for aggravation and get another member like Kim Martin to give a statement. Victim impact statements by closest family are incredibly important (not to this court, I must admit) as they are the last final words for the victim who, in the ironic tragedy of trials, is erased again by the process.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Quote Originally Posted by mister happy View Post
Oscar doesn't do windows either lol. If the kiddie speeches don't work out, he can always give seminars on "Proper Gun Handling & Safety for Amputees".

In August this year 9 year old girl shot and killed her instructor with an Uzi. It was in Arizona.

OP is very gifted to teach handling a gun on shooting ranch. Remember the journalist!

 

[katydid23]

How can the parents of a slaughtered child be expected to ' remain neutral?'

 

[jay-jay]

Intimidation tactics. Typical abuser, imo.

Yep. He shouldn't even be allowed to mingle with anyone in the court like that anyway .. here in the UK, he would be in a separate dock completely, and led away separately during any breaks.

 

[sleuth-d-]

On lunch now till 1.30. Nel wanted long break.

Before we left, Nel said he had four witnesses. Judge said, 'Four!' sounding surprised and disapproving. So Nel amended it to three, then judge said she wasn't trying to influence him, and Nel amended that to 'three or four, but they won't be long Milady'.

I am not sure judge is right to make Nel feel he has to rush, really. This is too important.

she was happy to sit through 4! defence witnesses. including the agent taking a couple of hours to list every charitable event op has ever attended. and this last witness putting together a partly out of date report on the prison system.

interesting that she wants to speed things up at this point, just as the dt have finished their piece.

 

[Jake18]

BBM - Exactly, and that's why I believe he needed to be far more succinct with them. I'm glad that CE is over, it was unbearable to listen to, both the witness and Nel.

Someone probably needed to suggest that he pretend he was explaining things to one of the children he teaches wrestling to.

Roux has used quite a few social workers this trial. To those of us who are cynical it all sounds like waffly cr*p but I suspect it's music to the Judge's ears.

 

[patCee]

Oscar Trial Channel @OscarTrial199 ·

Nel asks if Vergeer followed Dewani case where our prison conditions were found adequate for his extradition by British court


Good one, NeL! :tongue:

Not sure that Nel was telling the whole truth though. IIRC the UK confirmed Dewani was fit for trial and that he would be held in a psychiatric facility, in SA, where he would continue to be monitored, and that he remained fit until trial.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

BBM

The same thing happened during the Heads of Argument - Masipa said things that explicitly implied that Nel would have to hurry it up, IIRC.

Meanwhile, the DT has been given free rein throughout this trial to waste the Court's time on a daily basis with no consequence or reprimand.

Yes, my thought!!!

 

[soozieqtips]

Another reason why Nel should've kept his cross-examination with that last DT witness shorter and more succinct .. he has left less time now for his own witnesses, which is not great (unless he's done it so that the DT have less to to CE them, I don't know ..)

BIB - I would hope he's not on a time limit. Masipa shouldn't rush him. She didn't rush Roux.

 

[Sherbert]

I wonder if the Steenkamps have been badly advised. They're entitled to claim compensation for the loss of their daughter - any money they receive in the meantime is simply an interim payment on account of damages and they did not have to agree to keep quiet/not to get involved in the sentencing, etc.

I'm sure Taylor-Memmory must have agreed not to give evidence on behalf of the State, too.

I think the Steenkamps may regret it if they don't speak for their daughter.

 

[Estelle]

The whole world watches as SA focuses more on the comfort of a killer than on justice for his victim

 

[sorrell skye]

Why does AV's voice have to increase an octave on the last syllable?

I can't think when I've ever heard such an irritating voice.

I've been wondering the same thing Soozie! I think it's a purposeful affect - to try to appear innocent and pure as she unloads her wheelbarrow of manure.

 

[soozieqtips]

she was happy to sit through 4! defence witnesses. including the agent taking a couple of hours to list every charitable event op has ever attended. and this last witness putting together a partly out of date report on the prison system.

interesting that she wants to speed things up at this point, just as the dt have finished their piece.

She needs to very careful not to show obvious bias towards the defence. AV wasted hours and Masipa barely said anything apart from once, when she told her she'd be on the stand for days if she didn't listen to the questions. But she still let her ramble and waste time.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Quote Originally Posted by jay-jay View Post
I can't make out how OP is having to brush past those people where they are sitting on the benches .. he is sitting on his own in the middle of his own bench .. why the heck did he need to be walking through the bit where ST or JM was sitting??

Intimidation tactics. Typical abuser, imo.

Perhaps OP wanted to whisper a little bit like some "how could you sleep at night" or something?

 

[jay-jay]

Not sure that Nel was telling the whole truth though. IIRC the UK confirmed Dewani was fit for trial and that he would be held in a psychiatric facility, in SA, where he would continue to be monitored, and that he remained fit until trial.

I wondered about that too .. but, I think that although what we've heard about Dewani and his extradition is mainly what you've said there, there would also have been something about prison meeting the conditions of what the UK would deem to be fit because we are quite hot on human rights in this country (annoyingly so, sometimes) and would not allow a person to return to a country where their jail facilities fell below what we regarded as acceptable. May be an unwritten thing, or it might've formed part of his extradition but wasn't really reported on as such, I don't know .. but I think it still works to have highlighted this case to make the point.

 

[kaos]

I can't make out how OP is having to brush past those people where they are sitting on the benches .. he is sitting on his own in the middle of his own bench .. why the heck did he need to be walking through the bit where ST or JM was sitting??

I think there's a bit of a maze system with the benches. It doesn't look like you can exit them at the right hand side where OP sits so he has to walk passed them. I wondered at the time when he said something to Gina Myers how he could have got that close to her but it must mean the first couple of benches have to share the same entry/exit. I don't like the idea that anybody should feel intimidated in a courtroom so I don't really approve of what Mark Bachelor and his friends are doing but at least OP should be getting a view on how he'll be treated should he decide to hit the Jo'burg nightlife again.

 

[sorrell skye]

Intimidation tactics. Typical abuser, imo.

You just KNOW he wanted to mutter under his breath at them (as he did with poor Kim), but didn't dare, since his vile comment to Kim was overheard by journos and reported. Next best thing: walk by and probably glare menacingly.

 

[jay-jay]

BIB - I would hope he's not on a time limit. Masipa shouldn't rush him. She didn't rush Roux.

It all depends though, because if the courtroom is only booked for a certain time limit then they need to either keep within that, or the case will need to be extended at a later date (if the courtroom has been booked for something else, which it probably has been).