Steenkamp may have deleted message
Reeva Steenkamp may have deleted a message sent by murder-accused Oscar Pistorius in response to her raising a concern over their dating, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Tuesday (25/03/2014).
"I can't be attacked by outsiders for dating you," read the message, according to police data analyst Captain Francois Moller.
The next communication between the couple, according to records Moller retrieved, was the following morning at 10am when Steenkamp sent Pistorius a good morning message and he replied using "baba", his term of endearment for her.
Moller said, in response to questioning by Pistorius's counsel Barry Roux SC, that it was possible that Steenkamp had deleted his response to the previous night's message and that is why no response to Steenkamp's message of the day before could be found.
Pistorius has been charged with the premeditated murder of Steenkamp on February 14 2013.
The State alleges they had an argument, and drew on messages on their WhatsApp which might support this contention.
Pistorius has said that they were in a loving relationship and that he shot Steenkamp in his home thinking there was an intruder.
He also faces charges related to alleged contraventions of the Firearms Control Act. He allegedly fired a shot from a Glock pistol under a table at a Johannesburg restaurant in January 2013.
On September 30, 2012 he allegedly shot through the open sunroof of a car with his 9mm pistol while driving with friends in Modderfontein.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges - Sapa
