Oscar Pistorius Made Girlfriend 'Scared Out of My Mind,' Text Claims
PRETORIA, South Africa March 24, 2014— -- Oscar Pistorius' slain girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp told the Blade Runner in text messages that she was "scared" of him at times, going so far in one text that his temper has made her "scared out of my mind," according to testimony in Pistorius' murder trial today.
The texts introduced in court today showed Steenkamp struggling to avoid Pistorius' temper, his jealousy and his frequent criticism.
"I get snapped at and told my accents and my voice are annoying. i touch your neck to show u i care you tell me to stop. Stop chewing gum. do this don't do that," read part of one long text.
"I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me... I do everything to make u happy and to not say anything to rock the boat with u. you do everything to throw tantrums in front of people," she wrote to the legless paralympian known as Blade Runner.
Pistorius, 27, is accused of murdering Steenkamp, 29, after an argument early on Valentine's Day 2013, shooting her through a locked bathroom door. Pistorius claims that he shot Steenkamp believing she was an intruder during the middle of the night. If convicted, Pistorius could be sentenced to at least 25 years in prison.
Oscar Pistorius Murder Trial in Pictures
The text messages appeared to be intended to show that Pistorius had a bad temper and that Steenkamp was afraid of him.
One text sent on Jan. 27, 2013 read, "u are very quick to act cold and offish when you're unhappy... every 5 seconds i hear how u dated another chick," she wrote.
Perhaps the most damaging to Pistorius was the line Steenkamp wrote saying, "i am the girl who let go with u even when i was scared out of my mind to. i'm the girl who feel in love with u and wanted to tell u this weekend.
The text messages came as the prosecution was close to ending its case against Pistorius.
Earlier today, one of Pistorius' neighbors testified that she heard a gunshot, then heard a woman screaming, and then a volley of three more shots.
Anette Stipp, whose husband Dr. Johan Stipp testified earlier during the trial, told the High Court in Pretoria she was not feeling well and woke up due to her coughing when she heard three shots, followed by terrified screams.
"It was not crying. It was screaming, high pitched screaming. It's not just the pitch, it's the whole voice... was definitely female," Stipp testified.
Stipp said she also heard a male screaming join the noise before a second set of three shots were fired.
"The screaming continued up until that second set of shots," Stipp said under cross-examination.
Pistorius's lawyer Kenny Oldwadge said the screaming Stipp heard was actually Pistorius crying, but Stipp remained adamant that it was a woman's voice she heard.
Stipp told the court the screams were so loud and terrified that she thought a family was being murdered in the house.
Pistorius' lawyers have said they will prove that it was Pistorius who made the high pitch screaming sound, arguing that his voice becomes high pitched when he is anxious.
They also submitted that witnesses did not hear gunshots. Instead what they heard was Pistorius slamming a cricket bat against the locked bathroom door to reach Steenkamp after realizing what he had done, his lawyers claim.
In addition, prosecutors claim that four shots were fired, not six.
