Nel starts cross examination in Oscar murder trial

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel began cross-examining the defence's forensic pathologist in Oscar Pistorius's murder trial in the High Court in Pretoria on Monday.

Unlike when he led State witnesses in giving evidence, Nel raised his voice, spoke rapidly, and turned and pointed at Jan Botha as he questioned him.

Nel and Botha became involved in a brief debate on the "collar of abrasion" left in Reeva Steenkamp's hip by the first bullet that
Pistorius shot at her through the locked toilet door of his home on February 14 last year.

"A collar of abrasion" is caused when a bullet strikes a body at an angle.

"Bring me any publication where somebody would support you that you can make any conclusion about the collar of abrasion after it has passed through a door," Nel challenged Botha.

Nel quoted from State witness Prof Gert Saayman's evidence that the collar was "irregular". Saayman conducted the autopsy on Steenkamp.

"What do you mean by irregular?" Botha snapped at him.

"Was it irregular because it wasn't concentric or because the margins differed considerably?" Botha persisted.

"We'll deal with that," Nel replied tersely.

Sapa