Pistorius Sobs As Reeva's Death Is Described

Oscar Pistorius has broken down in court as a neighbour described the moments he tried to save his mortally wounded girlfriend.

Prosecution witness Dr Johan Stipp went to Pistorius' residence after hearing shots fired on the night Reeva Steenkamp was killed.

He said: "I got inside and there was a lady lying on her back.

"I also noticed a man kneeling on her side, on the left side. I remember the first thing he said when I got there was 'I shot her, I thought she was an intruder. I shot her.'"

:: Sky News' live coverage of the trial is under way, and a special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday at 9.30pm.

He said he did not realise it was Pistorius at first.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead on Valentine's Day

"He was crying and praying to God. At one stage he said he would give his life over to God if she would survive.

"First thing, I checked her pulse and airway. She was clenching down as Pistorius was trying to open her airway.

"I opened her right eyelid. Her cornea was milky, obviously already drying out."

Pistorius' sister Aimee speaks to a member of Ms Steenkamp's family

Sky's Alex Crawford, who is in court, said Pistorius was openly sobbing as the evidence was given.

Earlier, Pistorius' defence team said it would have been "impossible" for neighbours to hear screams on the night Ms Steenkamp died.

Lawyer Barry Roux said neighbour Charl Peter Johnson's claim that he heard gunshots followed by a woman screaming was incorrect.

"At the time you heard the deceased, she was in a locked bathroom," said Mr Roux.

"You cannot hear it inside your house. At any distance, she was in a locked bathroom.

Pistorius' Pretoria mansion pictured after the shooting

"The deceased was in the toilet and the door was locked. Even standing on the balcony, it would have been impossible to hear the screams."

Mr Johnson is giving evidence for a third day.

Both Mr Johnson and his wife Michelle Burger insist they heard a woman's screams during the shooting.

The issue of the sound of a woman screaming is a key point for the prosecution. The claims by neighbours that they heard the screams suggest Pistorius would have known it was Ms Steenkamp, rather than an intruder, as he fired.

Pistorius' defence lawyer Barry Roux has been aggressive in his questioning

Mr Johnson also claims he heard five or six shots on the night of the killing.

But Mr Roux pointed out that in his initial notes he wrote that he "did not count the number of shots fired".

Mr Roux said: "Three hours later you changed this paragraph. And you corrected little things. That is a sign that you revisited that note and amended it."

He also suggested that Mr Johnson had given evidence to fit with his wife's account of the evening.

Pistorius wrote notes during the hearing on a pad of paper

"Your statement is strikingly similar to your wife's statement," Mr Roux said.

Mr Johnson replied: "My wife and I did speak about the incident after it happened."

But he added: "I did not hear her testify or speak to her about what she said in court."

Mr Roux said: "Your interpretation today is a designed one, it's to incriminate. That's unfortunate, and we'll deal with it."

The high-profile case is being televised around the world

On Wednesday, the court heard from Pistorius' boxer friend Kevin Lerena, who said he was injured when the star fired a gun in a restaurant.

Mr Lerena added that Pistorius then asked another friend to take the blame.

On top of the premeditated murder allegation, Pistorius faces a charge of illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing.

He denies all the charges against him and maintains he shot Ms Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.

The athlete could face 25 years in jail if he is found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa. South Africa does not have trials by jury.

More follows...

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