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Mr Steenkamp, father to Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius’ ex-girlfriend
who was killed at the athlete’s home in 2013 by Oscar Pistorius’
gunshots, told the court today to show the world photos of Reeva’s
gunshot wounds, tearfully saying Oscar Pistorius must pay for his
crime.
Oscar’s hearing started on Monday in South Africa with sentencing set for Friday and in Monday’s
hearing a psychologist told the court that sending Pistorius to prison
will do more harm than good for the athlete as he suffers from
depression and anxiety.
hearing a psychologist told the court that sending Pistorius to prison
will do more harm than good for the athlete as he suffers from
depression and anxiety.
Mr Steenkamp, a
retired racehorse trainer, broke down repeatedly in the witness box as
he laid bare the devastating impact his only daughter’s death had had on
his life.
retired racehorse trainer, broke down repeatedly in the witness box as
he laid bare the devastating impact his only daughter’s death had had on
his life.
“I think of her every day of my life, morning, noon
and night, in the early hours of the morning, I think of her all the
time,” he told a sentencing hearing that will decide what punishment
Pistorius will face for killing Reeva, 29.
and night, in the early hours of the morning, I think of her all the
time,” he told a sentencing hearing that will decide what punishment
Pistorius will face for killing Reeva, 29.
Mr
Steenkamp told the Judge that he wanted the world to see a picture of
Reeva’s dead body so that “the world can see the wounds that were
inflicted on Reeva and the pain she must have gone through.” He also
said he declined meeting Pistorius after his daughter was shot dead.
Steenkamp told the Judge that he wanted the world to see a picture of
Reeva’s dead body so that “the world can see the wounds that were
inflicted on Reeva and the pain she must have gone through.” He also
said he declined meeting Pistorius after his daughter was shot dead.
“Not the maximum sentence,but Oscar has to pay for what he did.”
Steenkamp revealed that he and his wife did not know about Reeva’s relationship with the sprinter until before her death.
While weeping terribly, he recounted the day he heard of his daughter’s death.
“I
got a phone call from June (his wife) and I couldn’t really understand what she
was so upset about, screaming and shouting. She said ‘come home
immediately, just come home.’ On my way home, I tried to fathom what she
had tried to tell me….that’s when I started to panic,” he said, his
voice barely audible between sobs, “the more I drove the more I realized
that Reeva had been killed.”
got a phone call from June (his wife) and I couldn’t really understand what she
was so upset about, screaming and shouting. She said ‘come home
immediately, just come home.’ On my way home, I tried to fathom what she
had tried to tell me….that’s when I started to panic,” he said, his
voice barely audible between sobs, “the more I drove the more I realized
that Reeva had been killed.”
Mr
Steenkamp described how he speaks to Reeva, a law graduate, constantly
and still finds the pain of losing her unbearable. “Our lives have
changed completely,” he said.
Steenkamp described how he speaks to Reeva, a law graduate, constantly
and still finds the pain of losing her unbearable. “Our lives have
changed completely,” he said.
“I talk to her
every day. You know, people say be patient, two years three years and
you start feeling a bit better about the whole thing, but every day of
my life is the same.
every day. You know, people say be patient, two years three years and
you start feeling a bit better about the whole thing, but every day of
my life is the same.
“Ever since
Reeva’s death, I wouldn’t say I’ve become a recluse but I can’t really
mix with people any more. And I sit on that veranda two o’clock in the morning which has become a habit and I smoke my cigarettes.
Reeva’s death, I wouldn’t say I’ve become a recluse but I can’t really
mix with people any more. And I sit on that veranda two o’clock in the morning which has become a habit and I smoke my cigarettes.
“It
is very difficult to explain when you take about the incident. I don’t
wish that on any human being. It devastated us. I ended up having a
stroke and so many things since then and I just don’t wish that on
anyone in this whole world,” he said, his large body shaking with
emotion and grief.
is very difficult to explain when you take about the incident. I don’t
wish that on any human being. It devastated us. I ended up having a
stroke and so many things since then and I just don’t wish that on
anyone in this whole world,” he said, his large body shaking with
emotion and grief.
In December 2015, Pistorius’ sentence was upgraded to murder after the original trial judge was wrong on several points of law.
Pistorius
served just under a year in jail for manslaughter before being allowed
to serve rest of his sentence under house arrest.
served just under a year in jail for manslaughter before being allowed
to serve rest of his sentence under house arrest.
Source: The Sun UK
