Oscar Pistorius is an unrepentant liar, aggressive and verbally violent to prison officials

Oscar Pistorius in the Pretoria High Court for sentencing yesterday. || Image By: INDEPENDENT MEDIA.

SOUTH AFRICA: Oscar Pistorius has broken prison rules and deliberately cons those around him to evade justice. That is how Pistorius, convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, was described by prosecutor Gerrie Nel in the Pretoria High Court yesterday, where his re-sentencing hearing is under way.


Pistorius's culpable homicide conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court of Appeal and the decision upheld by the Constitutional Court. He is now to be sentenced for murder.

In heated exchanges, Nel yesterday accused Jonathan Scholtz, a clinical psychologist testifying in mitigation of sentence, of bias.

Scholtz, who examined Pistorius when he underwent observation at Weskoppies Hospital in 2014, told the court that Pistorius's severe anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder had worsened.

Scholtz, led by Pistorius's lawyer, Barry Roux, said: "This is probably due to the negative attitude of the public and being vilified in the media. If he were my patient I would have him hospitalised."

Scholtz said Pistorius's condition prevented him from testifying.

"He's remorseful and expressed guilt. He prays daily. He's found some solace in the fact that Reeva is in God's hands."

Scholtz said that in prison Pistorius had suffered psychological damage from being in isolation for 18 hours a day, and hearing a prisoner who later hanged himself after being raped. He was denied his medication and viewed "like a caged animal" by warders and others who came to his cell at night.

"During the trial we heard of two Oscars, now there is almost a third, whose functioning has deteriorated."

But Nel tore into Scholtz.

"You say he cannot testify in court but days ago he did a TV interview; in the trial he was involved in an aggressive confrontation with the investigating officer; and we have a prison report which shows that he was aggressive, verbally violent to prison officials, threw temper tantrums, banged desks and was found illegally with medicines.

"The appeals court said no one knows the true explanation for the shooting. Did Pistorius say he armed himself to shoot whoever was behind the door?"

Scholtz, who dismissed the prison officials' reports as "unscientific", conceded that Pistorius had intended to shoot anyone behind the door.

On his behaviour in jail, Scholtz said: "He was distressed. Under the circumstances his anger [in prison] is understandable. It was only when he first got to prison."

Nel told Scholtz that Pistorius had lied. "The 18 hours of solitary confinement, and the rape and hanging, were all lies.

"His cell door was open a large amount of the time, there is no record of a rape or death. He had nothing to fear in terms of safety because he only had one other person in his section, Radovan Krejcir, who he played ball with whenever he wanted to.

"What you tell us is all based on your assumptions, not interviews done with experts or officials, merely assumptions."

Criminal law defence expert Llewelyn Curlewis said the weight given to the reports of psychologists and other experts was at the judge's discretion.

"The reports merely assist. A judge must consider an accused's personal circumstances, the seriousness of the offence and society's interests. The defence only touched on Pistorius's personal circumstances.

"Nel targeted the seriousness of the remorse, especially as Pistorius won't trust the court to come and testify but will, through a TV interview, reveal all to the world. It makes it difficult for the defence."

Via: TimesLive.