Trial Discussion Thread #5 - 14.03.11-12, Day 7-8

[MeeBee]

Adjourned. Omigosh that seemed to collapse in a bit of a fiasco for the prosecution?? What do people think?

Yes. Not a good day. And I'm confused about the bullet trajectory but in fairness they haven't got there yet.

 

[zwiebel]

It seemed like the worse thing was not that evidence appears to have been compromised, but that the Col did not appear to have noticed - and then seemed to be laughing, rather than taking it seriously in court. Like bootprints just appearing on evidence happens all the time or something??

 

[spiderlady]

I am way behind on this case and have very little time to follow any more but can someone tell me if there was blood on OP's stumps?

 

[Pisto_lius]

Here you can see a lot of pics of the toilet door shown in court

https://twitter.com/pieter_sm
.
.

 

[zwiebel]

Any South Africans - so sorry about my wild guesses at the spelling of the names I'm hearing!

 

[zwiebel]

Door marks.

https://mobile.twitter.com/pieter_sm/media/grid?idx=3&tid=443695933834801152

 

[sorrell skye]

Any South Africans - so sorry about my wild guesses at the spelling of the names I'm hearing!

You're very brave to have attempted to spell them!

 

[zwiebel]

Showing where footprint was.

https://mobile.twitter.com/pieter_sm

 

[21merc7]

I have to say, I have never seen any Court actions quite like these.

Not sure what it means, but the evidence is treated as if it is irrelevant or is intentionally tainted. Not a good feeling.

Is someone else to testify about the door evidence? Someone that actually DID thoroughly examine, photo, and document any damages? Someone that was qualified to do so, or is qualification not really a necessity in most cases there and just whomever is on duty at the time of the crime is the examiner?

 

[Cher352]

Adjourned. Omigosh that seemed to collapse in a bit of a fiasco for the prosecution?? What do people think?

By what most of us see with trials here in US it does seem to be very lacking but of course we usually get to see all the crime scene photos. By what I gathered from listening there marks that were there aren't now, marks that weren't there are now. The witness did not seem sure of so many things.

I guess though how it seems to us doesn't matter, it will be how the judge sees it. Could be that this type of testimony is common there. If this was a case decided by 12 jurors I could really see where there could be trouble making anything out of his testimony.

 

[Peliman]

I caught about 45 minutes of this testimony and read all the post and well I'm just speechless to put it mildly.

I need more rolaids for my indigestion.

 

[zwiebel]

The system for the chain of evidence seems to be a little fluid, or undecided even - as in where stuff goes and who is responsible. Or maybe that's just something police need to answer, rather than the Col? Maybe that is just not part of his job?

 

[james83]

My worst fear coming into this trial was the potential for blunders denying justice, i really hope that's not the feeling many of us are left with when all is said and done.

 

[04009margaret]

By what most of us see with trials here in US it does seem to be very lacking but of course we usually get to see all the crime scene photos. By what I gathered from listening there marks that were there aren't now, marks that weren't there are now. The witness did not seem sure of so many things.

I guess though how it seems to us doesn't matter, it will be how the judge sees it. Could be that this type of testimony is common there. If this was a case decided by 12 jurors I could really see where there could be trouble making anything out of his testimony.

On the Pistorius radio show on whooptv they had a legal expert on that explained that unfortunately crime scene contamination & evidence contamination is quite common, due to the investigating officers not having access to basic provisions they require to do their job thoroughly. According to him it is common for detectives to attend a scene without being provided with gloves & boots to protect the crime scene. From the discussion it sounds like it's a funding issue that everyone in the court system is aware of. It would be a shame if this case collapses due to this.

 

[FrancesB]

Photo of toilet reconstruction:

https://twitter.com/barrybateman/status/443738106374934529/photo/1

I still find it odd that there are a number of places Ms Steenkamp could have stood and been clear of the bullets fired, but that she was shot 3 times out of the 4 shots fired.

 

[Peliman]

One conclusion I'm coming to is OP was on his stumps and not on his prosthesis. The lower gunshots present a different scenario I've not come to grips with.

I'm sure the internet will blow-up with new speculation. With the lower shots I think it's more likely she was screaming. JMO

 

[minor4th]

Well, that was a disaster. Surely the State saw this coming. Or maybe they hoped to catch Roux off guard with this testimony from the Col that was not in the report.

 

[Estelle]

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Top-Oscar-Pistorius-cop-quits-20131215

 

[Pisto_lius]

However, it seems there is a positive result in all that fiasco:

OP was on his stumps and NOT - as he claimed - on his prosthetics when he tried to open the toilet door.

An.other lie....

-----------------------

22 minutes for loading WS website.... I give up, again :banghead: :banghead:
.
.

 

[Estelle]

Policeman in charge of the Oscar Pistorius crime scene quits as it is claimed the door he shot through, killing his girlfriend, was kept in cop's office

Colonel Schoombie van Rensburg accused of keeping evidence in office

Anyone in the police station had access to van Rensburg's office

Police protocol is that evidence must be kept in a secure room

He is the second officer linked to the case who has resigned

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rime-scene-policeman-quits.html#ixzz2vl17Dslw