Oscar Pistorius has said that his dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp often "over exaggerated" her reactions to him when he was upset with her.
The South African Olympic and Paralympic star is facing fierce cross-examination in the court room on the third day as he his taking stand on the witness box. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel - who is known in South Africa as 'Pit Bull' for his fierce and merciless cross-examination and counter attacks, demanded Pistorius to admit that his girlfriend's death is more than just a terrible mistake.
"You killed a person, that's what you did. You shot and killed her, won't you take responsibility for that?" Prosecutter Gerrie Nel asked the sprint runner inside the courtroom packed with hundreds of people, the proceedings of which is broadcast live to be seen by millions of people worldwide.
Nel continued questioning Pistorius on Thursday by asking him about a particular time when he supposedly "brushed her off" at an engagement party because he was jealous of her talking to another man.
Reading a WhatsApp message apparently written by Reeva to Pistorius, Nel asked him, "Why is she scared of you?" quoting the text, "So upset that I left Darren's party early, so upset. I am scared of you at time."
Pistorius replied, still struggling to remain composed: "I think she is scared of how I react to her, hurt her feelings...think she is scared of the feelings that she had for me."
The pitiless attack on Pistorius comes a day after he was forced by the same Prosecutor to watch at the exploded head of Reeva comparing it to his video showing the explosion of a watermelon, which was posted by a news channel earlier. In the video where the athlete is seen firing at a watermelon from a shooting range, he appears to whisper: "Its softer than brain, bur f**k it's a zombie stopper."
Nel had told the athlete that Steenkamp's head exploded just like a watermelon - a shock tactic, which many analysts claim, was used to leave Pistorius shocked and shaken, so that he confesses everything.
The move was, however, condemned in the social media. Pistorius was heard wailing inconsolably when Reeva's head was compared to the exploded watermelon.
On Thursday, Nel also attacked the 27-year-old Olympian champion because he never said he was "sorry" for killing Reeva.
"There is no sorry, I killed her, you are not sorry that you killed their daughter," Nel shouted.
"I am terribly sorry that I took the life of their daughter," Pistorious replied in a trembling voice.
"I don't think I will ever feel better. I haven't had the opportunity to meet the Steenkamps, I don't think they are ready."
"I don't think half the words that I wanted to say, did not come out. I think it was very difficult for them to sit and look at the person that took their daughter's life."
This came after Reeva's mother June said earlier to the British tabloid, Mirror that she did not know if Pistorius' distress marked by constant wailing and crying is an act. However, she said that the athlete has gone "from hero to devil" after killing her 29-year-old daughter.
(Edited by Anu James)
