Oscar Pistorius

Who would shoot an intruder through the door 4 times. If there was an intruder hiding in the bathroom and Pistorius had him cornered with a gun, why shoot? Sounds very odd to me. Just because he's a famous sportsman that doesn't make him untouchable. Though many of them think it does!!

Glass Poignant indeed and even more so given that she was due to give a talk about violence against women.

Civilians in real life do not behave rationally when they have a gun in their hand - whether they are angry or scared.
Highly trained professionals might. But throw in a dose of adrenalin and they also may deviate from rational behaviour.

Maybe he thought he could shoot out the lock and get in at her? and forgot that bullets don't stop until they have used up all their momentum. He seems to have been beyond common sense, whatever the cause. As has been said, anabolic steroids could be the reason. I daresay it will all come out in time.

If it is, I hope it will show others that the benefits of using them do not make up for the costs.

Sadly, very sadly, South Africa has become a trigger happy society. Every second person owns a gun and discharging a firearm is extremely common place.

Before we left in 2000, we would be woken at night by the sound of gunfire, sit bolt upright in bed, scared, and phone the local police station (around the corner from our home) and the on duty policeman would say "It's nothing, it's just people (in the nearby informal settlement) testing their home made weapons." We often heard the gun shots night after night. In time, we would still stir, but turn over and go back to sleep. Unbelievable when I think of it now.

So - he could have thought it was an intruder and was really scared.

Why would an intruder lock themselves in the bathroom? And where did he think his girlfriend was at the time?

door might not have been locked. He might have just shot in panic. Perhaps girlfriend turned up unexpectedly and tried not to wake him.

#clutchingatstraws

Hmm...

#soundsabitofawuss

It's different in South Africa. And he has got no legs. Poor bloke.

Grannyknot There's a lot to be said for living free from the fear of trigger happy individuals. The only sound that wakes us from our sleep is of the family cat yowling to be let in, or out. I'll settle for that.

I shall wait to learn all the facts of P's case before attempting to judge him.

You're right Soop, when you're away from a situation, it is easy to block out the horrors and idealise a place. But there is nothing worse than waking in the night with your heart pounding because you don't feel safe in your own bed. Makes me when I think of how many people live with that.

J08 what on earth has his lack of legs to do with whether or not he is a murderer?

Actually, to be accurate, he has some legs – just not a full set.

It does seem most likely that some drug or another was involved, maybe in conjunction with alcohol. Either that or he is a psychopath, which I think would have been diagnosed by now.

Drugs + alcohol + firearms = disaster.

Poor girl.

Lots of domestic attacks by violent men do not need alcohol or drugs to fuel them.

As JessM said earlier, SA has a terrible gun homicide rate (and rape rate). I wonder how many people have been shot dead since this particular killing (hope fully neutral word) took place?

Ok I understand that it is possible that some drugs that may have been taken could cause a change in personality etc etc... but this is just a cop out, if he shot her deliberately he should not be allowed to get away with all the excuses and reasons that are being branded about. Nothing seems to add up in this case.. one minute his father is saying he has not met the girl, then the cousin or uncle are saying they were all so close to her? Sounds rather strange to me... but this doesnt make someone guilty of murder, however it does leave a lot of questions?

annodomini I didn't say that his lack of legs made him more likely to be a murderer. Just that he might have felt more vulnerable himself, being so disabled.

#read the effing posts

Oh, and absent - I know he has legs above the knees.

I don't think they should be showing the tv programme. Poor woman isn't even in her grave. Quite wrong.

jingle, he was one-year-old when he had his legs amputated, due to the fact that he had no tibias in either legs.
I don't think he would have felt vulnerable - he's a strong and very able man.
I agree with you that they shouldn't be showing the programme - how insensitive and greedy of the TV company. They will, no doubt, have massive viewing figures simply because of the ghouls who would want to watch it.

I am sorry if I offend anyone by lightening the mood of this thread.

Did any of you watch the weekly comedy chat show the 'Last Leg' on Channel 4 friday 15th Feb. They mention Pistorius and chat about the weeks events. It is a funny show and the three presenters are lovely. They do talk about disability topics and get away with it as they have disabilities themselves.

I think Pistorius has a problem when the police say they have been to his house before due to domestic issues. It is a sad event and if he never owned a gun then this tragedy would obviously never have happend. He will rue the day he ever bought it.

Maybe OJ Simpson can recommend a good lawyer?

I think it is fair to say that a double amputee may (or even would) feel vulnerable without their prosthetics, no matter how fit they are, or how much time they have spent in that state.

I know that Heather Mills-McCartney has spoken of - and she is also fit - that feeling of being vulnerable without her prosthetic leg (and her then husband not being very sympathetic).

But he may have been wearing his prosthetics, though? Of course, if he wasn't, then I should imagine he might feel vulnerable if he really thought it was an intruder. We don't know anything though.
She may have been standing right behind the bathroom door and that's why she was so badly injured.