Oscar Pistorius Defense

[liesbeth]

The problem with this entire defense is two-fold.

1) According to his version, OP put his own life in danger by being the aggressor in the confrontation. The "intruder" cannot be blamed for OP chasing after him and standing in front of the door.

2) OP denies he shot the "intruder" in self-defense now. He abandoned his claim that he shot in self-defense.

I see your point (edit: I mean to say that I agree with you. Sorry for the edit. English is not even my second language.) but I think OP said a lot of things on the stand and I'm not sure if what he said means he legally changed his defense or if it just means he f-ed up.

In the end it comes down to Judge Masipa and her two assessors. They will have to decide if it's possible that Oscar could have mistakenly thought he was entitled to shoot the intruder because he thought he was under attack.

Keep in mind that they would then also have to believe a lot of other things are possible. I.e. he screams like a woman. He screams in two voices. The light was not on. Baba lied. Mangena is mistaken. Saayman. Dr. Michelle Burger. Johnson. Dr. Stipp and Mrs. Stipp. They were all mistaken/wrong/lying or had a hidden agenda to put Oscar away.

 

[Viper]

Liesbeth, is it you that has an understanding of physics, or was that someone else? Apologies in advance to either you or them for my not remembering.

 

[DebinGA]

I wonder what brain trust decided OP, without any explanation whatsoever, would order Reeva to "Get down" and "Call police" ... then leave her alone in the dark? If that was the winner, imagine what the losing scenarios were like.

 

[liesbeth]

Liesbeth, is it you that has an understanding of physics, or was that someone else? Apologies in advance to either you or them for my not remembering.

No, Viper. If I ever said that I understood physics, I lied. Am I allowed to ask why you want to know?

 

[Greater Than]

BIB. You mean what Reeva, with a perforating gunshot wound to her head with her brain tissue clinging to her hair, looked like? The same as in the photo that I have attached?

Indeed. He wasn't physically sick at the scene, yet he's puking all over the courtroom.

Theatrics. Moo

 

[mister happy]

Indeed. He wasn't physically sick at the scene, yet he's puking all over the courtroom.

Theatrics. Moo

PTSD? And I'm not joking. Any opinions?

 

[aoibhinn]

Liesbeth, is it you that has an understanding of physics, or was that someone else? Apologies in advance to either you or them for my not remembering.

Viper, I think it might be shane13, if I'm not mistaken. I've a grasp of theory of that's any use. It's not my area, just an interest. Can't sleep due to exam jitters. Happy to help, if I can. Might calm the nerves :seeya:

 

[Viper]

No, Viper. If I ever said that I understood physics, I lied. Am I allowed to ask why you want to know?

Yes, of course! It has been worded here that OPs carrying Reeva about the house did not cause her blood to be moved. One member seemed to minimize her being moved and carried and the concomitant forces that were exerted upon her body as she was bounced up and down in OPs arms as he stepped down each of the steps, as "jiggling." But any physicist would jump on the fact that Reeva weighed approximately 125lbs. So the force of the bouncing in OPs arms would be 125lbs of pressure being exerted upon her back and chest area. There were external forces producing pressures upon and within her body that moved blood through her wounds and arteries.

 

[liesbeth]

Can anyone remember what exactly Roger Dixon said about the ear protection?

Saw this tweet by David Smith and now I'm trying to find the vid on YT.

Dixon didn't wear ear protection as for gunshots. "A cricket bat hitting an object doesn't generate that very loud crack at close range."

https://twitter.com/SmithInAfrica/status/456353003193135104

 

[aoibhinn]

PTSD? And I'm not joking. Any opinions?

The retching could well be anxiety. It happens to me. That was the one part of his performance I did believe. I don't doubt that he's stressed.

 

[liesbeth]

Yes, of course! It has been worded here that OPs carrying Reeva about the house did not cause her blood to be moved. One member seemed to minimize her being moved and carried and the concomitant forces that were exerted upon her body, as she was bounced up and down in OPs arms as he stepped down each of the steps, as "jiggling." But any physicist would jump on the fact that Reeva weighed approximately 125lbs. So the force of the bouncing in OPs arms would be 125lbs of pressure being exerted upon her back and chest area. There were external forces producing pressures upon and within her body that moved blood through her wounds and arteries.

Thank you for taking the time to answer, Viper. As I said before, I would not dare a comment on the physics.

 

[katydid23]

I can easily believe that he would retch and puke while the horrendous pictures were being shown to the public and to the judge. He knew that people were witnessing the aftermath, the results of his mania. :moo:

 

[toevlugsoord]

Indeed. He wasn't physically sick at the scene, yet he's puking all over the courtroom.

Theatrics. Moo

He actually did mention that he was physically sick at the time:
1) "the smell of the blood was making me throw up" (23:00 link below)

2) then that he had to go into the kitchen to be away from seeing her body: "I couldn't look around the corner because every time I saw Reeva I got sick." (24:00 link below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbz64-Ie0BM

 

[crasshopper]

It is interesting that an attorney asked a doctor if arterial spurt can be produced by a dead body and the doctor answered, "If so very short a time." It seems that his case was similar to parts of the discussion here.

From the link below, quote:

Q. Doctor, and if there is an arterial spurt of blood from a body when a wound is inflicted by a sharp instrument, would that mean that the body 596 was still alive?

A. I would definitely say yes.

Q. Could the body be dead and yet there should be an arterial spurt of blood

A. If so very short a time. That is merely an evidence of a pump, a muscle pump, like the heart contracting, and each contraction is evidenced by a spurting, if you please, but with that one wound as serious as perhaps in this wound would not continue for any length of time.

http://books.google.com/books?id=i9...a=X&ei=RPVbU4TKLeGq2QWK4IHIDQ&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAg

...are you seriously quoting a medical expert from a case in 1930's because things have changed a lot since then

 

[Viper]

...are you seriously quoting a medical expert from a case in 1930's because things have changed a lot since then

Grasshopper what has changed? Has biology changed? Has physics changed? Has medical science changed? What exactly in your mind has changed?

 

[shane13]

What I posted circa a week ago was the following.


OP could have-while carrying Reeva--found that a rapid partial turn followed by an immediate quick stop could have made blood come off, possibly fly off for a distance, RS or her clothing.

I wrote that while the physics seems simple and sound, there are too many parameters (re blood vessels, clothing etc.) that need actual experimentation in a BSA's lab.

Note that there is no jiggling or bouncing or such needed for this and I don't care to say more here.

I called the piece "angular momentum and inertial braking". And it could account for some blood in places. I also think OP might have gotten off doing this and mucking up the crime scene. JMO

 

[crasshopper]

Grasshopper what has changed? Has biology changed? Has physics changed? Has medical science changed? What exactly in your mind has changed?

Ever, ever so much ... nuff said.

 

[Feynman]

He forgot that hollow points aren't the only "type of ammunition used with my firearm".

I took that to mean it was standard to use hollow points with that firearm. He didn't say they were the only ammo used with that gun.

 

[beach]

Stop it now.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Greetings everyone. I'm a newbie to this forum and want to congratulate everyone for the considerable time and effort put into your questions, answers and thought processes. I can't help but wonder if OP read this or any other forum prior to, or even during testifying because it would certainly have given him some ideas on how to tailor his evidence.