Pistorius Trial: Reeva Bullet Wound Evidence

Pistorius' Team To Highlight Police 'Errors'

Updated: 2:42am UK, Wednesday 16 April 2014

By Emma Hurd, Sky News Correspondent, in Pretoria

It felt like a dramatic climax to the murder trial, but Oscar Pistorius' testimony and cross examination in the witness box was just the start of the defence's case.

The athlete's lawyers still have about a dozen witnesses to call as they try to challenge the prosecution's charge that the runner shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, deliberately.

Already, we have seen one expert witness, Roger Dixon, who has suggested the neighbours who gave evidence for the prosecution were mistaken in what they heard. 

A recording of a cricket bat hitting a door was played in the courtroom, the bangs ringing out like bullets as Pistorius covered his ears.

The defence wants to show that the neighbours who said they heard a woman screaming as shots were fired must have heard the athlete screaming as he broke down the toilet door to reach Ms Steenkamp after shooting her by mistake.

The defence is expected to call other neighbours - who lived closer to Pistorius - to show they heard noises consistent with the runner's account of the shooting.

We can also expect an array of experts in the field of crimescene investigation to argue the police misinterpreted and contaminated evidence. 

The "unreliability" of the state's forensic evidence is a key part of Oscar Pistorius' defence.

Unlike the prosecution, the defence does not have to provide a full list of potential witnesses, so we do not yet know if the athlete's friends or relatives will be called to testify about his character or his relationship with Ms Steenkamp. 

Both issues were stressed repeatedly by the defence during his time in the witness box. 

Defence advocate Barry Roux has been keen to portray Pistorius as a man with an overwhelming fear of crime whose disability added to his sense of vulnerability. 

This is important as the athlete has used his "fear" as his explanation for the shooting - saying he was convinced an intruder or intruders had broken into his house. 

The state of his relationship is also a crucial element in the defence's case, particularly after the prosecution claimed Ms Steenkamp was scared of Pistorius and he shot her deliberately after an argument.

The state prosecutor, Gerrie Nel, whose fierce cross examination of Pistorius caused the athlete to contradict and confuse his account of the shooting, will have the opportunity to interrogate all of the defence witnesses.

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South Korea: 295 Missing After Ferry Sinks

Almost 300 people are missing after a ferry sank off the coast of South Korea.

Three people have been confirmed dead so far - including a male student and a female crew member.

The South Korean Coastguard says 164 people have been rescued and 295 remain unaccounted for.

Rescued passengers are brought ashore

The ferry, with 459 people and 150 vehicles on board, was sailing to the southern island of Jeju when it sent a distress call at 9am local time (1am UK time) on Wednesday morning as it began listing to one side.

Soon afterwards it had completely capsized, with only the front part of its hull visible above the water.

There is no indication yet what caused the ship to list and roll onto its side, although one witness told television channel YTN there had been a "loud impact and noise" before it began sinking.

95% of the ship is now submerged

Captain John Noble, a marine salvage expert, told Sky News the most likely explanation was the ferry hit a rock.

He added that passengers would have struggled to get off the ferry quite soon after it began listing.

"Once a ship gets beyond 20 degrees it is impossible for passengers to stand up without holding onto something," he said.

87 rescue boats are at the scene

"Once a ship gets to its side you completely lose your orientation. Those poor people would really have relied on rescuers to get them out.

"It's truly remarkable so many rescue crews got there so quickly."

The 6,825-ton ship left Incheon port, west of Seoul, on Tuesday evening and ran into difficulties about 60 miles (100km) south of the Korean peninsula.

The ferry ran into difficulties 60 miles south of the Korean peninsula

The 325 students and 15 teachers on board were from a high school in Ansan, near Seoul. They were reportedly on their way to the Jeju island for a four-day trip.

One student, Lim Hyung-min, told YTN he jumped into the ocean wearing a life jacket with other students and then swam to a rescue boat.

"As the ferry was shaking and tilting, we all tripped and bumped into each another," he said, adding some people were bleeding.

Rescued passengers are wrapped in blankets

He said the ocean was "so cold", adding: "I was hurrying, thinking that I wanted to live."

The news agency AP is reporting 55 injuries, including people with burns, hypothermia and fractured bones. 

A total of 18 helicopters and 87 rescue boats are at the scene, according to AP. A team of elite navy divers has also been sent to the area.

459 people were on the ship when it started to sink

The US Navy has dispatched its amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard to aid the operation.

Fishing and other commercial vessels appeared to rescue many passengers before emergency teams arrived at the scene.

Passenger Kim Seong-mok told YTN he was "certain" people were trapped inside as water quickly rushed into the vessel, and the severe tilt of the ferry stopped them getting out.

Some of those rescued are being cared for in a gymnasium.

Some people yelled at those who could not get out, urging them to break windows, he said.

Mr Kim said he felt the ship tilt and heard it crash into something before the ferry operator made an announcement asking passengers to wait and not move.

The rescue operation is being carried out in difficult conditions.

The ship, Sewol

"There is so much mud in the sea water and the visibility is very low," Lee Gyeong-Og, the vice minister of security and public administration, told a press briefing in Seoul.

Those rescued are being taken to the nearby Jindo Island, where medical teams are wrapping them in blankets, checking for injuries and directing them towards a gymnasium hall.

Meanwhile, parents of the children on board have gathered at their high school in Ansan to wait for news.

A mother reacts to seeing her son on the list of those rescued

One of the dead was found inside the sinking ferry, while the other died soon after arriving at the Mokpo Hankook hospital on the mainland.

More follows...

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Ukraine: Pro-Russians 'Take Soldiers Hostage'

Digging For The Truth Over Russia And Ukraine

Updated: 11:52am UK, Wednesday 16 April 2014

By Ian Woods, Sky News Senior Correspondent

Trying to separate fact from fiction is part of a journalist's job, but in Moscow you have to learn to treat some reports with a large dose of scepticism.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Russian state news channel Rossiya 24 reported that between four and 11 people had been killed when Ukrainian government forces recaptured control of an airfield in Kramatorsk, which had earlier been controlled by pro-Russian protesters. 

Other Russian news agencies reported several deaths.

It seemed as if it might be a watershed moment, likely to trigger a military response from the Kremlin which has pledged to protect ethnic Russians.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing deep concern and saying events were developing into a "worst case scenario."

But later reports filed by international news organisations such as Reuters and the Associated Press revealed a much less serious incident.

True, Ukrainian soldiers had arrived at the scene and took some verbal abuse from protesters.

Warning shots may have been fired and an officer had his hat knocked off in scuffles.

Tension remains and it is always a worrying development when a country's military confronts its own citizens.

But it still seems some way short of the civil war that Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Ukraine was on the brink of.

Equally, those who suggest that everyone who has manned a barricade or occupied a government office in eastern Ukraine is either a Russian agent or cajoled by the Kremlin is also exaggerating.

Yes, there appear to be many examples of men taking charge who display some form of military training, but recent video footage of people forcing a Ukrainian tank to turn around suggests they were angry locals rather than crack troops. 

When the West cries too loudly about Russian influence it can drown out the genuine voices of those Ukrainians in the East who don't like the western-leaning interim government in Kiev. 

The Russian media ridicules the EU and the US for lauding the civil protests which forced elected President Viktor Yanukovych to flee the country, and yet the same governments condemn Russian-speaking Ukrainians supporters for being angry about what they view as an illegitimate coup.

The truth is out there, and the UN has published a version of it, which found claims of attacks on ethnic Russians had been deliberately exaggerated to justify Russian intervention in Crimea last month.

The UN Human Rights report said assaults were not widespread and that reports of nationalist extremists "coming armed to persecute ethnic Russians in Crimea were systematically used to create a climate of fear and insecurity that reflected on support to integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation".

The Russian foreign ministry said the UN report was "one-sided, politicised and not objective", adding: "One gets the impression that the report was fabricated to correspond with conclusions formed in advance."

The annexation of Crimea was popular in Russia because it returned a territory which was historically Russian, but which was ceded to Ukraine during the Soviet era when Moscow still retained overall control.

But there appears to be little appetite among ordinary Russians for trying to seize chunks of eastern Ukraine, even if many of those who live there speak Russian.

Lisa Zelaney, a student at Moscow State University, told Sky News she had friends in Ukraine and, although she supported Crimea returning to Russian control, the current situation was different, and she was dubious about Russian media reports.  

"When you hear people say, 'Yes, we want Russian people to get here and help us get rid of this government, that we don't like it,'  that's not usually the truth.

"I think we should leave this country alone and let them themselves decide what they need."

Pensioner Vladimir Pantileymonovich told us: "By no means should Russia interfere in the eastern Ukraine situation. It's their own business."

And Dina Boulatova added: "We should definitely not get into it, otherwise there will be huge problems for Russia. The two sides there should take a step towards each other."

But another man was more sympathetic to Kremlin policy.

Elizarov Leonid Mikhailovich said: "For me personally everything is very clear. The majority of the population expressed their opinion. They said what they wanted and how they wanted it.

"The methods that the Kiev authorities are using now are horrible. They were elected in a barbarous way.

"I think the majority in Ukraine understand this government does not have a future.

"I may not support Putin or like him but on this issue I completely support him. Russia is strong enough now to support its people."

As for criticism of a foreign government meddling in the affairs of another, the Russian media reported on evidence to confirm their suspicions the interim government in Kiev came to power as the result of an American-backed coup. 

The confirmation by the White House that CIA director John Brennan was a visitor to Kiev at the weekend fuelled Moscow suspicions of the agency's involvement in supporting the Maidan protesters.

The White House said his arrival in Ukraine was simply part of a wider European tour.

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Oscar Pistorius 'Killed Reeva On Purpose'

Oscar Pistorius sobbed as he read a Valentine's Card from Reeva Steenkamp - after claims he shot her while she screamed for her life.

Ending five days of cross examination, prosecutor Gerrie Nel put it to Pistorius that he armed himself "with the sole purpose of shooting and killing" his girlfriend.

The accusation came before the Paralympian read out a Valentine's Card from Ms Steenkamp, due to be opened on the day of the killing.

Pistorius sobbed: "Roses are red, violets are blue. I think today is a good day to tell you that ... I love you."

Mr Nel again reduced Pistorius to tears as he asked him who was to blame for the bullets that "ripped through her body".

"Who should we blame for the fact that you shot her?," Mr Nel asked.

Pistorius replied: "I don't know my lady, I was scared. I believe there was a threat on my life."

Mr Nel continued: "Once again, we shouldn't blame you? Who should we blame?"

"I'm not sure," Pistorius replied.

Mr Nel asked: "Should we blame Reeva? She never told you that she was going to the toilet - we should blame Reeva?"

Pistorius replied: "No, my lady."

Mr Nel pressed on: "Should we blame the government? You must be blaming someone?"

"I don't know. My lady, I believed that someone was coming to attack me," Pistorius replied.

Mr Nel ends five days of cross examination

Mr Nel then asked: "Who should we blame for the black talon rounds that ripped through her body?"

After a few seconds to compose himself, Pistorius said the ammunition was of the type required by his gun.

As he concluded cross examination Mr Nel referred to Reeva's "blood curdling screams", heard by neighbours.

He went on: "I'm putting to you that there were only two people in the house.

"You killed Reeva. I'm putting it to you that your version is not only untruthful but is so improbable that it cannot reasonably be true.

Oscar Pistorius arrives at the High Court today

"She was locked into the bathroom and you armed yourself with the sole purpose of shooting and killing her."

Pistorius said: "That's not true my lady." 

Mr Nel ended: "That's what you did. Afterwards, indeed, you were overcome by what you had done - only because it was your intention to kill her."

Pistorius said: "The opposite, my lady,"

Pistorius sobbed as he looked at a photograph of injured Reeva Steenkamp

Earlier, the athlete sobbed as he was asked to look at a photograph of Ms Steenkamp slumped on the toilet bowl.

He was asked why he didn't scream when he saw Ms Steenkamp, 27, injured in the toilet, as opposed to the moments before.

Pistorius replied: "The state of panic was not knowing - when I saw her there, it was sadness. I was broken.

"I was talking to her, I was saying 'baby please hold on'."

Mr Nel then accused Pistorius of calling security by mistake and telling them things "were ok" because he didn't want them in the apartment. 

Pistorius, 27, admits shooting his girlfriend - but says he believed that she was an intruder.

He denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition. He also denies two further counts related to shooting a gun in public on separate occasions prior to the killing.

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Ukraine: Russia Welcomes Talks With Separatists

Russia's Foreign Minister has welcomed an offer by the Ukraine government to hold dialogue with separatists in the east of the country.

Speaking during a visit to Beijing, Sergei Lavrov said the apparent willingness to "resolve through negotiations all the problems relating to the legal demands of the inhabitants of the south-east regions of Ukraine, is certainly a step in the right direction, albeit very belated".

But he warned the use of force against pro-Russian forces in the eastern Ukraine would undermine four-way talks planned in Geneva on Thursday.

Armed men stand guard outside a seized building in Slavyansk

He said: "You can't send in tanks and at the same time hold talks, and the use of force would sabotage the opportunity offered by the four-party negotiations in Geneva."

Pro-Russian separatists have seized control of government buildings and set up checkpoints in several cities in eastern Ukraine.

Unrest has engulfed many cities in the east of Ukraine

Video footage emerged on Tuesday of separatists stopping a Ukrainian tank and questioning its crew near the village of Rodinskoye.

Interim Ukraine President Oleksander Turchynov said on Tuesday an "anti-terrorist operation" is now under way in the Donetsk region, but insisted it would take place in a "considered" way.

He has accused Russia of harbouring "brutal plans" to destabilise the region by backing separatists and refusing to force them to stand down.

Pro-Russian protesters at a rally in front of a seized office in Luhansk

He said: "The plans of the Russian Federation were and remain brutal.

"They want not only for Donbass (Donetsk region), but for the whole south and east of Ukraine to be engulfed by fire."

Ukraine authorities said pro-Russian separatists have voluntarily surrendered the police headquarters in Kramatorsk.

Two pro-Russian politicians have been attacked by pro-Western activists as tensions remain high.

Pro-Russian politician Oleh Tsaryov was attacked outside a TV station

Oleh Tsaryov, a candidate in the presidential elections on May 25, was pelted with eggs and beaten as he left a TV studio in Kiev on Tuesday.

Mikhaylo Dobkin, another Russian-leaning politician, was sprayed with a green disinfectant on Monday night.

Sam Kiley, Sky News Foreign Affairs Editor, said "all the cards are being held by Moscow".

Ukraine is split over its ties to Russia

He said: "Things will only change if there is a significant increase, particularly in those European sanctions, with regard to Russia so that there is a genuine economic bite, an economic consequence to the Russian activities here in eastern Ukraine.

"There is no chance of any kind of military intervention by Nato or allies of the central government in Ukraine, nor is there really anything that can be done other than sanctions in terms of getting the Russians to move their position."

It comes after US President Barack Obama urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to convince pro-Moscow activists to leave buildings seized in around 10 locations in eastern Ukraine.

The West has accused Russia of being behind the seizures in order to justify expanding its control beyond Crimea, which voted to join the Russian Federation in a referendum last month.

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Farage: 'Expenses Claims Are Erroneous'

Nigel Farage has hit back over EU expenses claims saying he can spend his taxpayer-funded allowances "as he likes".

More follows...

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Ukraine: Horlivka Police Station Stormed

Pro-Russian armed forces are seizing and occupying key buildings in eastern Ukraine after a deadline set by the Kiev government for them to stand down passed this morning.

At least 100 separatists attacked a police station in Horlivka, forcing riot officers to withdraw from the area, witnesses said.

Armed men were seen smashing windows, ransacking the building and building barricades in footage beamed around the world via a live stream online.

Ukrainian TV footage showed an ambulance treating people who were apparently injured during the assault on the police HQ in the city of 300,000 people.

Pro-Russian forces detain a man in eastern Ukraine

There was no immediate response to the action from Ukrainian forces after acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said a "large-scale anti-terrorist operation" would be launched and the Donbass region would "soon be stabilised".

At least two people were killed and several others injured in the city of Slavyansk in clashes on Sunday.

Armed men that Western leaders claim are Russian forces have set up checkpoints and barricades in towns in the area.

Burning tyres at a checkpoint in Slaviansk

President Turchynov also said he had no objection to a referendum in the east of the country to run alongside planned presidential elections as he believes the majority of Ukrainians would support an "independent, democratic and unitary Ukraine".

World leaders warned of the violent seizure of the government buildings was a "dangerous escalation" in the crisis.

David Cameron spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the pair agreed that the building occupations should be condemned and foreign secretaries in Luxembourg should discuss how work on sanctions can be accelerated.

Slavyansk and Kramatorsk are among the latest cities to be hit by unrest

Foreign Secretary William Hague said denials of Russian involvement did not have "a shred of credibility".

He said: "What has happened in eastern Ukraine over the last 48 hours is clearly a further escalation of the crisis in Ukraine and it is a very dangerous one because of course it could lead to other measures being taken on both sides.

"There can't be any real doubt that this is something that has been planned and brought about by Russia. The forces involved are well-armed, well-trained, well-equipped, well-coordinated, behaving exactly the same way as what turned out to be Russian forces behaved in Crimea before the full Russian military takeover of Crimea.

Pro-Russian protesters detain a man in Luhansk

"So it has all the appearances of a further gross, deliberate and premeditated violation of the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine." 

The UK's ambassador to the UN, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, told the Security Council that satellite images show between 35,000 and 40,000 Russian troops are massed near the Ukraine border, in addition to the 25,000 "illegally" in Crimea.

Sir Mark said there were increasing signs of Russian involvement in orchestrating the violence.

Hundreds of civilians have come out in support of the activists

"We want to use this Security Council meeting to expose that but also warn Russia against using events in eastern Ukraine as a pretext for further military escalation in the region," he said.

Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the meeting he is alarmed by Ukraine's announcement of a "full-scale anti-terror operation" to seize back occupied areas.

He denied Western claims that Moscow is behind the violence, and said Kiev has been using neo-Nazi forces to destabilise its eastern region.

"It is the West that will determine the opportunity to avoid civil war in Ukraine," he said.

"Some people, including in this chamber, do not want to see the real reasons for what is happening in Ukraine and are constantly seeing the hand of Moscow in what is going on. Enough. That is enough."

He said Russian-speaking people in eastern Ukraine are "concerned about their future" and "don't want radicals to impose their will on them".

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov later demanded explanations after claiming there were reports the head of the CIA was visiting Ukraine.

European Union foreign ministers are holding talks later today to discuss how to toughen sanctions against Russia without losing the support of EU governments worried about Moscow switching off the gas to Europe.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement: "The Russian Federation is urged to call back its troops from the Ukrainian border and to cease any further actions aimed at destabilising Ukraine."

Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK would "press for a firm and united response".

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Mini-Sub To Join MH370 Search As Slick Found

Search teams are preparing to use a mini-submarine to scan the sea bed for wreckage from flight MH370 "as soon as possible".

Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, leading the search, told a news conference an oil slick had been found within the current search zone of the southern Indian Ocean.

Speaking at a press conference in Perth, he said: "We haven't had a single detection in six days so I guess it's time to go underwater."

Mr Houston cautioned that the use of unmanned submarine, Bluefin-21, should not raise hopes that debris from the aircraft will be found.

Crew members look out from the cockpit of a P-3K2 Orion aircraft

"Again, I emphasise that this will be a slow process," he said.

He said two litres of oil were found by Australian vessel Ocean Shield in the area where four "pings" possibly from a black box recorder were detected last week.

The oil is being examined to see if it is aviation fuel, but that process could take several days.

The slick was found 5,500 metres from where the possible signals were detected.

HMS Echo is helping in the search

Eleven military aircraft, one civil aircraft and 15 ships are scouring an area of more than 18,400 square miles (47,600 square km) in today's search.

The centre of the search zone is around 1,400 miles (2,200km) northwest of Perth on the western coast of Australia.

Ocean Shield will stop using its Towed Pinger Locator to try to locate the Boeing 777's black boxes later today.

The submarine will then be deployed from the vessel.

Bluefin-21 was used to find the Air France plane that crashed in 2009

Each of its missions will take 24 hours and the first will cover an area 5km by 8km, Mr Houston said.

The US-manufactured submarine, a 16.2ft (4.93m) long sonar device, can operate at a depth of up to 14,700ft (4,500m), roughly the depth of the ocean floor where the "pings" were detected.

There are fears the plane's black boxes have now stopped transmitting signals, as the batteries last around a month and the plane disappeared more than five weeks ago.

Bad weather is expected to hit the search area this week, making the search more difficult.

The jet, which was carrying 239 people, vanished while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.

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Oscar Pistorius Breaks Down Twice In Court

Oscar Pistorius has been accused of weeping for himself, not his tragic girlfriend, during another emotional day at his murder trial.

Pistorius broke down twice, leading to court adjournments, as he was asked to explain alleged inconsistencies in his story. 

As he began his sixth day of evidence, the athlete was immediately accused of lying in court as he was cross-examined by prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

Mr Nel told Pistorius: "Today I'm going to prove your version of events is untrue. That you tailored your version, concocted your story.

A woman hugs Pistorius as he enters court

"Your version is so improbable that it cannot reasonably possibly be true."

Referring to the moment Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead after hearing a noise from his toilet, Pistorius was asked: "What is your defence?"

"I heard the noise and I did not have time to interpret it and fired out of fear," Pistorius said.

Mr Nel replied: "You know exactly what you were doing, you fired at Reeva. You fired at her."

Pistorius broke down as he replied: "It's not true my lady."

Mr Nel interrupted: "Why are you getting emotional now?"

"I did not fire at Reeva," Pistorius wept.

After a short break Pistorius returned to the witness box.

Mr Nel said: "I'm going to argue that you got emotional because you got your defences mixed up."

"No," Pistorius said.

"Getting your defences mixed up - that's why you get emotional," Mr Nel said. 

Earlier, Pistorius raised his voice in the witness box when asked to explain what he had said to the "intruders" in his bathroom on the night of the shooting. 

Breaking down into more sobs, he shouted: "I said 'get the **** out of my house, I said get the **** out of my house'."

Pistorius, 27, spoke softly and appeared low in energy as he replied to the prosecutor's questions. 

Mr Nel asked: "Today I pick up that you are not sure about things. Is there anything wrong?"

Pistorius replied: "No."

On another occasion, Mr Nel asked: "Is there something wrong with you? You are touching your eyes."

Pistorius replied: "My eyes are sore."

Pistorius is surrounded by security as he enters the court

Mr Nel said: "Why are you touching your eyes now?"

The judge then interrupted Mr Nel, to stop his line of questioning. 

Pistorius admits shooting his 29-year-old girlfriend dead on Valentine's Day last year - but says he believed that she was an intruder.

This morning, Pistorius denied that there had been an argument before the shooting and that the model was planning to leave the flat. 

On several occasions, Pistorius was picked up on alleged inconsistencies in his evidence.

Reeva Steenkamp was shot in the toilet of Pistorius' home

He focused on Pistorius' court account that he had heard a door closing in the toilet - making him believe intruders may be in there.

Mr Nel said: "There's not a single word of the door shutting in your bail statement, why not?"

"I'm not sure - I don't know why," Pistorius replied.

"It's even more devastating that it's not in your plea statement," Mr Nel continued.

"I don't know why," Pistorius replied.

Reeva Steenkamp was a model and minor TV celebrity

"It's because you invented it," Mr Nel asserted.

Pistorius conceded he "made a mistake" when he said last week that he "whispered" to Ms Steenkamp to stay low on the night of the shooting.

He admitted that he "spoke in a low tone", rather than whispered. Mr Nel said Pistorius was "tailoring his evidence".

Pistorius replied: "I don't understand why I would be tailoring my evidence by saying 'whisper'."

He was also asked why he had initially said that he "heard a noise" on the night of the shooting but later changed that to "hearing a window sliding open".

Pistorius explained: "When my bail was done, I was in a holding cell, I was on medication, I was traumatised - it was not made clear to me that it was exhaustive."

During questioning, Pistorius appeared to become irritated as Mr Nel quizzed him about precise details related to items in the Paralympian's bedroom.

Mr Nel spent several minutes asking Pistorius about the significance of a blue LED light which was left on, on the night of the alleged murder. 

He also returned to quizzing Pistorius about the position of a fan in the room, as well as a pair of jeans owned by Reeva Steenkamp.

Earlier, Pistorius, 27, was greeted outside the court by supporters with white balloons and Christians, playing and singing music.

One of the supporters clung to his hand for several seconds as he walked into the Pretoria court.  

Some held banners which read 'Ozzy, we love you' and 'hero'.

Pistorius denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition in relation to Ms Steenkamp's death.

He also denies two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

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Mini-Sub To Be Used As Plane Search Narrows

The commander of the Royal Navy ship searching for flight MH370 has told Sky News they are getting close to sending down a mini-submarine to hunt for wreckage.

HMS Echo is working with Australian vessel Ocean Shield to locate the Boeing 777-200's black box before it runs out of power.

The plane carrying 239 people vanished from radar on March 8 and is thought to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, around 1,500 miles off Australia's west coast.

Ocean Shield, towing a US Navy device to detect signals from the plane's fading beacons, first picked up two underwater "pings" consistent with those from a black box on April 5.

This was followed by two more in the same area three days later.

HMS Echo is searching the southern Indian Ocean for the missing jet

The crew of HMS Echo are analysing the signals by looking at the currents and ocean depth of around 2.8 miles (4.5km) to try to pin-point the plane's wreckage.

The underwater search zone has been narrowed to around 500 square miles (1,300 square km) - roughly the size of Los Angeles.

Phillip Newell, commanding officer of HMS Echo, told Sky News: "We believe we have come close to that point now where we can move to the next stage and deploy a remote vehicle which can go down to the correct depth and search the sea bed."

The Bluefin-21 can search between 20 and 40 square miles a day

The crew will use Bluefin-21, a mini-submarine used to find the Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic in 2009, to search the sea bed for debris.

But major hindrances still remain, and it could be years before the Malaysia Airlines jet is found, radar expert Professor David Stupples told Sky News.

The search is also set to be hampered by bad weather this week.

Sunday's planned search area

Eleven military aircraft, one civil aircraft and 14 ships are taking part in today's search, said the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, the international body leading the hunt.

It said there have been no confirmed acoustic detections over the past 24 hours.

The batteries that power signals from the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders last only about a month and it has been more than five weeks since the plane disappeared.

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