Oscar kept his gun besides his bed - ex-girlfriend

Oscar Pistorius's ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor testified during the second session of the fifth day of the Paralympian's murder trial.

Taylor, a skinny blonde-haired 21-year-old, who was 17 when she started dating Pistorius in 2010, recalled an incident in 2012 in which she said Pistorius had fired his gun through the sunroof of a car.

Taylor said that she, Pistorius and Pistorius's friend Darren Fresco had been driving in the car on that day.

Taylor recalled that the three had been driving back from the Vaal River when they were stopped by the police for speeding. She said that Pistorius and Fresco were pulled out of the car and Pistorius had left his gun on the seat and was questioned by police about the firearm. Taylor added that Pistorius and Fresco were upset at the police after having been pulled over and that Pistorius fired a shot through the sunroof, after which he and Fresco laughed.

Taylor also testified that Pistorius would always take his personal cell phone to bed at night and often used it during the night, that he had screamed in her presence and that he had always sounded like a man when doing so. She also said that that he kept his firearm on him at all times and placed it next to his side of the bed at night, never under the bed.

Taylor became emotional, leading to two short adjournments, when asked by Advocate Barry Roux to recall the circumstances of her break-up with Pistorius.

She said that he had cheated on her twice, once while at the London Olympics and the second time in November 2012, when he took Reeva Steenkamp to the SA Sports Awards. - Tymon Smith