Pistorius murder trial finishes but no verdict for more than a month

By Nick Butler

A final verdict in the Oscar Pistorius murder case will not be heard until September 11, it was revealed today, following the final day of proceedings in a trial that has already lasted more than five months.

He is accused of deliberately killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria home on February 14 last year after an argument.

But the six-time Paralympic champion, who also represented South Africa at the London 2012 Olympic Games, claims he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four shots through a locked toilet door.

Following the staunch condemnation of the 27-year-old's defence by chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel yesterday, today offered an opportunity for defence councel Barry Roux to provide closing statements.

He claimed his client had "built up" an exaggerated fear of crime due to his upbringing and reacted the same way a victim of domestic violence would have done after years of abuse.

Pistorius also felt particularly exposed because he was not wearing his prosthetic legs, it was claimed.

"You have the effect of the slow burn of insecurities over many years," Roux told the court.

"You're an athlete, you're trained to react to a sound, and he stands there now with his finger ready to fire, and then...

"You're standing at that door, vulnerable and anxious, and you're trained as an athlete to react.

"Take all those factors into account".

The parents of Reeva Steenkamp were among those in court for the final day of the trial ©Getty Images

This continued the strategy the defence has pursued throughout the trial of depicting Pistorius as a vulnerable man marked by tragedy after losing his mother as a child in addition to sustaining a double amputation.

Roux also criticised the handling of the crime scene, which Pistorius alleges was contaminated, and accused investigator Hilton Botha, who was first put in charge of the case before being dropped from the investigation after being charged with attempted murder, of telling "blatant lies".

This contrasted sharply with the words of Nel yesterday, who claimed Pistorius' lawyers had presented a dishonest defence, with the athlete himself "more interested in defending his life than the truth".

Following the conclusion of the trial today, Pistorius posted a message on Twitter saying, "thank you to loved ones and those that have been there for me, who have picked me up and helped me through everything".

Both sides now face an anxious wait for the next month, rather than the two weeks initially forecast, until the verdict is eventually provided by Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa.

No jury participate in South African court cases.

The 27-year-old faces at least 25 years in prison if found guilty of premeditated murder, while he could also be convicted on lesser charges, such as culpable homicide or murder without premeditation.