Trial focus shifts to media over witness picture

Tymon Smith

The second day of Oscar Pistorius's murder trial saw the athlete looking more focused and confident, often passing notes to his defence team during Advocate Barry Roux's continued cross-examination of Pistorius's neighbour Michelle Burger.

Proceedings were interrupted, however, when prosecutor Gerrie Nel objected to a photograph of Burger being broadcast by television channel eNCA.

The channel argued that, based on its legal advice, it was not in violation of the court order allowing media coverage. It obtained the still photo from the website of the University of Pretoria, where Burger works.

Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled that the broadcast was a violation and ordered an investigation into the matter, warning the media that they would not be treated with “”kid gloves” if they violated the terms of the order.

The media, instead of focusing on fulfilling their mandate to bring the events unfolding in the Pretoria High Court to the public's attention, briefly became the focus of that attention.

The trial resumes after tea with Roux's further examination of Burger, who for the moment is standing by her testimony that she was awakened by the sounds of a woman's screams in the early hours of February 14 2013, before hearing shots and further screams, which then faded away.

Burger and her husband live in a neighbouring estate to Silver Woods, where the shooting took place, in a unit 177m from Pistorius' home.