They will make their closing arguments on Thursday, when the Pretoria court reconvenes after a one month adjournment, and Friday.

The Paralympic athlete is accused of deliberately shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home on February 14 last year after an argument.

Pistorius claims he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four shots through a locked toilet door.

His defence team has made four key points in its summary of arguments:

• Pistorius panicked on the night of the killing, because his disability made him feel extremely vulnerable in a country with high levels of violent crime

• The neighbours who testified they heard the screams of a woman live 170 metres from the crime scene. Other witnesses, who live closer to the house, say they only heard a male screaming

• Mistakes made by the police while securing the crime scene led to a questionable police report - which explains why some of Pistorius' statements do not match the report.

• A pathologist said it remained unclear at what time Steenkamp last ate on the night of her death, contradicting a pathologist called by the prosecution, who said Steenkamp ate at about 1am.

The defence team, led by Gerrie Nel, has used testimony from neighbours of Oscar Pistorius in an attempt to prove he was arguing with Reeva Steenkamp on the night she died ©AFP/Getty Images



The prosecution in the case has made five main arguments:

• Neighbours heard loud fighting and screams before Pistorius fired the shots that killed Steenkamp in the early hours of February 14.

• Pistorius' claim that he got out of bed to confront an intruder without first making sure his girlfriend was next to him and alright is improbable.

• The position of Steenkamp's body suggested she was talking to Pistorius behind the closed door when the shots were fired.

• A pathologist report showed Steenkamp had eaten at about 1am, contradicting Pistorius' claim that the couple went to bed early.

• Steenkamp was fully dressed when she was killed. Other clothing items were neatly folded in her overnight bag, suggesting she was planning to leave after the fight.

Trials in South Africa do not have juries.

Judge Thokozile Masipa will consider and then issue her verdict, with the help of two assessors, once the closing arguments have been heard.

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