Pretoria, South Africa: The judge in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial on Thursday read the reasoning behind her upcoming verdict on whether the double-amputee athlete intentionally killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Judge Thokozile Masipa told Pistorius he could remain seated on a wooden bench in the South African courtroom until she asked him to stand. Pistorius faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder for fatally shooting Steenkamp in his home in the predawn hours of Feb. 14, 2013. He also faces years in jail if found guilty of murder without pre-planning, or of negligent killing. Pistorius could also be acquitted if Masipa believes he made a tragic error.
Pistorius has said he mistakenly shot Steenkamp through the closed door of a toilet cubicle, thinking there was an intruder in his home. The prosecution alleges the athlete intentionally killed her after a quarrel.
Masipa, whose verdict will likely take hours and possibly two days to read, began by outlining in detail the four charges against the Olympic runner: Murder, two counts of unlawfully firing a gun in a public place in unrelated incidents and one count of illegal possession of ammunition.
Before the sessuon began, Pistorius hugged his brother Carl, who was seated in a wheelchair because of injuries suffered in a recent car crash. The parents of Steenkamp, the 29-year-old model fatally shot by Pistorius, were also in the packed gallery. Other members of Pistorius' family, including his father Henke, sat behind him.
Masipa's verdict is expected to involve a detailed review of the testimony and legal arguments and could run into Friday. If Pistorius is convicted on any charge, the case will likely be postponed until a later sentencing hearing.
There were many journalists at the courthouse, where the sensational trial has unfolded over the last six months
