SOUTH AFRICA: Oscar Pistorius quizzed over Reeva Steenkamp killing

Oscar Pistorius sobbed whilst recounting the moments of the shooting
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius is facing fierce questioning about his version of events on the night he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel began his cross examination by pushing Mr Pistorius to acknowledge the full magnitude of his actions on 14 February 2013.

The athlete said he made a "mistake" when he shot Ms Steenkamp in his home.

"You killed a person, that's what you did! You shot and killed her, won't you take responsibility...?" Mr Nel said.


Oscar Pistorius told prosecutor Gerrie Nel that he "made a terrible mistake"
A graphic picture of Ms Steenkamp's head was shown to the court for the first time, prompting anguish from Mr Pistorius and a further adjournment of proceedings.

The athlete denies deliberately shooting dead his girlfriend, arguing he mistook her for an intruder.

Prosecutors contend he intentionally killed her in the toilet of his bathroom after a row.

The 27-year-old Olympic and Paralympic sprinter, who is a double amputee, faces life imprisonment if convicted of murder.

If acquitted, South African law stipulates that the court must consider the separate, lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, for which he could receive between six and 15 years in prison.

Mr Pistorius also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, both of which he denies.

There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors.

The BBC's Andrew Harding in court in Pretoria says in the opening moments of cross examination showed the highly combative style Mr Pistorius can now expect from Mr Nel in the coming days.


Gerrie Nel: Fierce prosecutor


Gerrie Nel is known for his no-nonsense attitude inside the courtroom and is one of South Africa's most respected legal minds.

With more than 30 years' experience he has a string of successful prosecutions under his belt and is no stranger to high-profile cases. He prosecuted former police boss and Interpol's ex-head Jackie Selebi on corruption charges, once calling him an "arrogant liar" during cross examination.

Those who know him praise his meticulous attention to detail and his "fearlessness". He was junior prosecutor in the murder case of anti-apartheid activist Chris Hani in 1993.

He was also the founding head in 1999 of the Gauteng province division of South Africa's elite police and prosecution unit the Hawks, then known as the Scorpions.

Oscar Pistorius trial: Key players


After the opening exchanges, Mr Nel asked Mr Pistorius whether he knew about a "zombie stopper". Mr Pistorius said he did not, but - following legal arguments - Mr Nel showed video footage of the athlete at a gun range where he is heard saying the word after shooting a watermelon.

Mr Nel then said the watermelon exploded in the same way as Ms Steenkamp's head - and showed a graphic picture of Ms Steenkamp's head after the shooting.

He asked Mr Pistorius to look at it and take responsibility for his actions.

"I've taken responsibility… but I will not look at a picture where I am tormented by what I saw and felt that night. As I picked Reeva up my fingers touched her head, I remember, I don't have to look at a picture I was there," he said sobbing.

It is the first time a graphic photo of Ms Steenkamp was shown been deliberately shown in court.


Mr Pistorius said that during their three-month relationship he and Ms Steenkamp had become very close

There is huge media interest in the trial

Reeva Steenkamp's mother June was comforted by a relative when a graphic photo of her daughter was shown

Aimee Pistorius became emotional as s she listened to her brother on the stand
During a brief adjournment Ms Steenkamp's mother, June Steenkamp, told journalists she understood why it had to be shown, the BBC's Pumza Fihlani reports from the court.

Earlier while being questioned by his lawyer Barry Roux, Mr Pistoriu