US experts to help with Oscar’s defence
|Published
South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius (3rd L) prays with his sister Aimee (2nd L) and his brother Carl, as he appears at the Magistrate Court in Pretoria on August 19, 2013. Pistorius appeared on charges of murdering his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14, Valentine's Day. South African prosecutors will argue that Pistorius is guilty of premeditated murder in Steenkamp's death, a charge which could carry a life sentence. Pistorius denies the charge, saying that he shot 29-year-old Steenkamp repeatedly through a locked bathroom door in the dead of night by accident, having mistaken her for a burglar. AFP PHOTO / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius (3rd L) prays with his sister Aimee (2nd L) and his brother Carl, as he appears at the Magistrate Court in Pretoria on August 19, 2013. Pistorius appeared on charges of murdering his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14, Valentine's Day. South African prosecutors will argue that Pistorius is guilty of premeditated murder in Steenkamp's death, a charge which could carry a life sentence. Pistorius denies the charge, saying that he shot 29-year-old Steenkamp repeatedly through a locked bathroom door in the dead of night by accident, having mistaken her for a burglar. AFP PHOTO / STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN
Johannesburg -
Forensic investigators from America will assist murder-accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius's defence team with his trial, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
“I can confirm that a team of forensic investigators from America will be working with the defence team,” spokeswoman Anneliese Burgess said.
“It's very standard practice to work with experts during the preparation of any trial.”
She said that the team arrived on Monday at Pistorius's Pretoria home with his lawyers.
Burgess said that they would not go into the details of the investigators' work and said that that was all she could say.
Pistorius appeared briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on August 19 for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14 in his Pretoria home.
At his bail hearing, Pistorius submitted that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder.
Along with murder, Pistorius was also charged with contravening the Firearms Control Act.
The trial was moved to the High Court in Pretoria and will run from March 3 to 20.
The indictment lists 107 witnesses to testify for the State. - Sapa