Tears as Steenkamp injuries revealed

Murder-accused Oscar Pistorius cried in the dock on Monday (10/03/2014) as pathologist Professor Gert Saayman described the head wounds of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius sat in the dock with his head bowed and his hands laced behind his neck.

He was shaking as Saayman described how a bullet entered Steenkamp's head in the right upper part, and ran under the skull before it exited from a second wound in the head.

Steenkamp family friend Desiree Myers also sat with her head down as Saayman spoke. Two women next to her held her hand and comforted her.

Pistorius sat gagging as Saayman said a bulk of the projectile went into the brain. Proceedings were briefly halted to allow him to regain his composure.

Saayman said Steenkamp's body was naked when it was brought in for a post mortem. Her clothes were brought along with the body.

Steenkamp's sport shorts had blood stains on them, and a small hole around 5mm in diameter.

What initially seemed like a defect on the trousers turned out to be a blood spatter, said Saayman.

Before proceedings adjourned, Professor Saayman told the court of the injuries that Steenkamp sustained to her hips.

"The overall appearance shows the entry point to be around 92cm from the ground," said Saayman, specifying that he was talking about a wound in Steenkamp's right hip.

He said a defect he had seen on Steenkamp's pants were in line with this wound. Steenkamp had also sustained injuries to her left groin but these were superficial, small abrasions.

"This was possibly caused by wooden splinters," said Saayman.

"These did not penetrate the skin," he said.

Saayman also spoke of a wound that he noted on Steenkamp's hand between two of her fingers.

A sleeveless black vest accompanied the pants.

Saayman said small tissue and bone fragments could be seen on the t-shirt.

Pistorius's sister, Aimee, also silently cried as she watched her brother break down.

Pistorius is on trial for the murder of Steenkamp.

He shot her dead through a locked bathroom door of his Pretoria home. He said he had mistaken her for an intruder.

The State, however, argues that it was premeditated murder. - Sapa