This came on the second day of what is being billed as the "trial of the century" in South Africa - where six-times Paralympic champion Pistorius is accused of murdering girlfriend Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year.

Estelle van der Merwe, who lived just under 100 metres from Pistorius, said she was woken just before 2am by the row, which went on for around an hour before she heard shots fired.

The first thing she heard was people "talking in loud voices" and, although she was unable to hear what was being said or what language was being spoken, the sound "irritated" her since she needed to sleep as her son was sitting exams the next day.

"At some stage I placed a pillow over my head," she told the judge, speaking through an Afrikaans interpreter.

She described hearing four gunshots at around 3am, after which there was "total silence".

There has continued to be huge media attention on the trial of Oscar Pistorius in Pretoria ©Gallo Images/Getty Images


Van der Merwe is the second witness to give evidence following another neighbour Michelle Burger, who explained how she was awoken by female screams, followed by male and female shouts for help, and then more female screams on the night in question in Pretoria. 

But the prosecution insisted today that she could not have heard a woman scream after shots were fired because Steenkamp was shot in the head - an injury that caused "serious brain damage" and rendered her unable to make a sound.

After this graphic description was given, Pistorius buried his face in his hand before rubbing the back of his neck and wiping his eyes with a tissue.

Burger's evidence is potentially damaging to the defence case because, if her account of hearing a woman screaming before shots were fired is believed by Judge Thokozile Masipa, it would mean discounting Pistorius' claim that he did not know he was shooting Steenkamp through the locked lavatory door.

But the defence team claim to have conducted tests and determined that it was impossible to hear screams from 177 metres away when someone was locked inside a lavatory with the window closed.

The trial is set to last for several weeks yet, with many more witnesses to come. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
March 2014: Neighbour describes "terrible screams...then shots" as Oscar Pistorius trial begins