Gerrie Nel's relentless interrogation of Oscar Pistorius symbolic of his career
Gerrie Nel's relentless, no-holds-barred interrogation of Oscar Pistorius emblematic of a career in which he has been known to go for the jugular
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel fired another tough question at murder suspect Oscar Pistorius.
"Are you sure, Mr Pistorius, that Reeva did not scream after you fired the first shot?" asked Nel.
The athlete, who earlier said he was tired and struggling under the relentless interrogation, leaned back in the witness box and remained silent.
The wood-lined courtroom in South Africa was hushed and expectant. Was Pistorius thinking through an answer, or was he on the verge of an emotional outburst, or was he reflecting on his predicament and Reeva Steenkamp, the girlfriend he killed in his home last year?
After a tense pause, the Olympic athlete said he wished Steenkamp had let him know she was in the toilet cubicle where he shot her - by mistake, according to his account. He said she did not scream, but also that his ears were ringing with effects of the gunshot and he would not have heard screams.
[Gerrie Nel's] got points to make and he makes them. He's not shy
Pistorius often seemed worn down as the caustic prosecutor picked holes in parts of his story. The dramatic cross-examination has drawn attention to Nel, a prominent state prosecutor dubbed "pit bull" in local media and on social networks for his combative, often effective style.