09.38 Court adjourned for half and hour
Nel has requested an adjournment until 11.15am (10.15 BST) to go through Dr Hartzenberg's report in detail.
09.35 Picture: Pistorius in court
Oscar Pistorius with a member of his defence team.
(AFP/Getty Images)
09.29 Pistorius' nightclub visits
Nel asks Dr Hartzenberg about Pistorius' visits to a nightclub following the death of Steenkamp. She suggests his nights out were an attempt to "escape" from his post-traumatic stress disorder.
Pistorius got into a fight during one visit to a nightclub , and was criticised after witnesses claimed he was had a "scantily clad" woman sat on his knee.
09.23 Nel's agressive style
State prosecutor Garrie Nel is continuing his agressive style of questioning.
09.19 Nel asks about former girlfriend
Nel moves his line of questioning onto Pistorius' former girlfriend Samantha Taylor. Dr Hartzenberg says they never discussed his relationship with Taylor.
But then asked again by Nel, she appears to concede that "he did mention it".
It was not my focus of my therapy ... we didn't discuss he relationships in depth with the other girls, no.
09.11 Dr Hartzenberg did not read judgment
Nel has got Dr Hartzenberg on this: he forces her to concede that she has not read the judgment compiled by Judge Masipa. She says she knew he was convicted of culpable homicide, but stops short of claiming she read any more of the report.
Nel calls her "irresponsible" for compiling her own report and giving evidence in court without reading the judgment.
Asked by Nel if she was irresponsible, Dr Hartzenberg says she will leave it up to the court.
"You can't just leave things to the court to decide," Nel rejoinders. "I'm afraid it is not as easy as that."
09.08 Pistorius' future career
Nel is agressively questioning Dr Hartzenberg about the possibililty of Pistorius returning to the track.
The International Paralympic Committee said during the verdict hearings that Pistorius would be allowed to compete in its events in future, despite his conviction for culpable homicide.
Craig Spence, the IPC’s director of media and communications, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Oscar’s done a great deal for the Paralympic movement, he’s been an inspiration to millions, but obviously his priority now is to see [what] the judge decides. And then if he wishes to resume his athletics career then we wouldn’t step in his way, we would allow him to compete again in the future.”
IPC Chief Executive Xavier Gonzalez said Pistorius had been a “fundamental ambassador” for the Paralympic movement.
09.06 Pistorius training again
09.01 Nel questions psychologist about Pistorius future
Nel is grilling Dr Hartzenberg about whether she ever discussed Pistorius returning to athetic training and competition. She denies ever discussing his possible future career.
We definitely did not discuss his future as an athlete, because when we sat there he had no future as an athlete.
08.57 Cross examination of Dr Hartzenberg
Garrie Nel begins cross-examination of Dr Hartzenberg, Oscar Pistorius' personal psychologist. He asks: If Pistorius is a broken man, are the Steenkamp's not a broken family?
Nel adds:
We are dealing with a broken man. But he’s still alive. He can still pursue his career and walk outside.
08.55 Pistorius a "broken man"
08.52 Post traumatic stress disorder
Dr Hartzenberg says Pistorius has been diagnosed with PTSD by various experts. She is describing the extent to which the event will continue to cause trauma to Pistorius. The defence is attempting to corroborate the appearance of Pistorius during the trial as extemely distressed and remorseful over Steenkamp's death.
Dr Hartzenberg calls the athlete "poor Mr Pistorius" and says that even although he appeared to lose his temper occasionally in court, he never did so in counseling sessions with her.
I have never found him to be anything other than a respectful, caring and well-mannered person.
08.47 Pistorius distress over Steenkamps
Dr Hartzenberg says Pistorius' was extremely distressed about not being able to contact Reeva Steenkamp's parents June and Barry.
After being rebuked in an attempt to speak to them, Pistorius felt he was "damned if he did and damned if he didn't", Dr Hartzenberg says.
08.43 More detail on Pistorius counseling sessions
Dr Hartzenberg gives more detail on Pistorius' condition during treatment. She says he often wretched, as he did in court during the presentation of the most graphic evidence, as well as pacing up and down and displaying other symptoms of anxiety.
She says his inability to attend her funeral and memorial left him unable to achieve "closure".
Pistorius' initial shock and frequent crying often disprupted the sessions, Dr Hartzenberg says. She says he has "not been able to reach a stage of acceptance and healing in his grieving process".
08.40 Psychologist describes counseling sessions
He was very emotional, we couldn't conduct some of the sessions. Some were just him weeping and crying and me holding him.
Dr Hartzenberg says she gave Pistorius grief and trauma counseling.
She reiterates that she agreed with Pistorius not to be involved in the trial, but changed her mind,
08.35 Defence calls Pistorius psychologist
The first witness for the defence is Oscar Pistorius’s psychologist Dr Lore Hartzenberg. Dr Hartzenberg has a "therapeutic support" to Pistorius during the trial, she tells the court. She says she intended not to become involved in the trial, but that she decided after writing a report for the court on Pistorius's condition that she should give evidence.
Dr Hartzenberg is not being shown on the television coverage.
08.33 Court is is session
Judge Masipa has entered court. She confirms with the barristers for Pistorius and the state that the mitigation and sentencing is not likely to take more than one week. The defence will call four witnesses and the state two.
08.29 Erin Conway-Smith is in court
It feels a little like Groundhog Day in Pretoria with prosecutors, the defence, journalists and family members gathered again at the High Court. Oscar Pistorius has arrived, as have June and Barry Steenkamp, the parents of Reeva. Unusually, a security scanner has been set up at the entrance to the courtroom. It is unclear whether this is in response to a threat or other security concern.
We expect sentencing procedures to take most of the week, likely concluding Thursday or Friday. The defence will argue mitigating factors first, followed by the state arguing aggravating factors, likely tomorrow.
08.16 Barry and June Steenkamp arrive in court
Reeva Steenkamp's parents Barry and June Steenkamp are also in the courtroom. Their "victim impact statement" is due to be read in court.
Oscar Pistorius is seated in a courtroom at the high court in Pretoria (Mike Hutchings/AP)
08.13 Oscar Pistorius has arrived in court,
Pistorius has arrived accompanied by six heavily armed police officers, though his family is yet to join him this morning. Judge Masipa is in her usual seat too, ready to hear first of all the defence's mitigation arguments, before the prosecution makes its case for Pistorius to be sentenced for the maximum 15 year's jail sentence.
Pistorius arrives at the High Court in Pretoria (Reuters)
08.05 What sentence is Pistorius likely to face?
My colleague Harriet Alexander has this on broad range of sentences open to Judge Masipa:
For manslaughter, there are no minimum terms, which means that he could be given a suspended sentence.
He could also be ordered to do community service.
Alternatively, she could decide that the severity of the crime merits a prison sentence and send him to jail for a maximum of 15 years.
Legal experts in South Africa have been reluctant to state publicly their predictions for the sentencing, which will come after Gerrie Nel, the prosecutor, and Barry Roux, Pistorius' defence lawyer, have both put forward their arguments for mitigating or aggravating circumstances.
A commonly-held belief, however, is that he will be sentenced to between five and ten years behind bars
08.00 Oscar Pistorius sentenced today
Good morning. Oscar Pistorius returns to court this morning for the beginning of the final stage of his marathon trial. The former Paralympian and Olympian athlete was last month found guilty of the culpable homicide - equivalent to manslaughter - of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year.
Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled on September 12 that Pistorius was not guilty of murder – meaning that he escaped a mandatory life sentence and 25 years behind bars.
There is no mininum term for culpable homicide, meaning that Pistorius could receive a suspended sentence or be set free. The maximum term is 15 years in prison.
If he is jailed, Pistorius will most likely be housed near Pretoria at either Pretoria Central, Baviaanspoort, or the rural Zonderwater prison. Given his disability and fame, he is unlikely to be housed with other criminals.
We are likely to see up to two days of arguments before the sentence is passed.
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1szt6qg
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