Prosecution plays down evidence by forensic expert

The prosecution on Wednesday derided a forensic expert hired by Oscar Pistorius, accusing him of being unqualified to testify and rubbishing his account of the circumstances of Reeva Steenkamp’s death.

State prosecutor Gerrie Nel sought to prove that forensic geologist Roger Dixon was out of his depth when he was testifying about bruises on Steenkamp’s body and other key elements of the crime scene.

Dixon, a university professor, told the court about the sound made by Pistorius’s cricket bat hitting his toilet door, visibility in the star sprinter’s bedroom and blood splatter.

Under intense pressure from Nel, Dixon described himself as a “layman,” a phrase the prosecutor seized on.

“You see Mr Dixon how irresponsible it is to try and be an expert on an area that you’re not,” said Nel.

MISTAKEN GUNSHOTS

Pistorius’ defence team has tried to prove that neighbours who testified to hearing “blood curdling screams” followed by gunshots were mistaken.

If proven correct, the neighbours’ account could punch a hole in Pistorius’ claim he did not know Steenkamp was in the toilet.

The defence team — with the help of Dixon — has tried to show that the noises were in fact Pistorius bashing a cricket bat against his toilet door after realising he mistakenly killed the model.

“Are you a sound expert, sir?” asked Nel. “Have you received training in decibels and sound?” Not specifically, said Dixon.

He also testified that Pistorius’ bedroom was so dark the athlete could not have seen whether Steenkamp was in bed.

When Nel asked the geologist about how he analysed the visibility in Pistorius’ bedroom room at night, Dixon said: “My lady, the instruments I used there were my eyes.”

“Are you a blood splatter expert?” Asked Nel. “I have received no training in blood splatter analysis,” said Dixon, a former employee of the South African Police Service.

Pistorius’ lawyer Barry Roux is expected to call up to 17 witnesses to bolster the athlete’s story that he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by mistake, believing she was an intruder breaking into his home in a gated Pretoria community.

The Paralympic gold medallist has pleaded not guilty to intentionally killing the 29-year-old model and law graduate.

He has also pleaded not guilty to three other charges connected with the reckless discharge of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.

Earlier, the judge overseeing Pistorius’ trial granted an adjournment from Thursday afternoon until May 5, citing scheduling concerns raised on behalf of the state.