Sudden Memory Loss

I don't know about anyone else but I find it rather odd that Oscar Pistorius can't seem to remember his Apple ID code right at the very time he's facing a trial for the suspected murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Now I'm as useless as the next person at remembering these pesky details which is why I always write them down somewhere, so that if the worst comes to the worst (often after much cursing and swearing), I can at least find the damn thing.

But not Oscar it appears - because he seems to have kept all this information stored away in his head until suddenly he can't remember it anymore. 


Oscar Pistorius investigators looking to access 'mobile phone messages' ahead of murder trial

Pistorius shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp three times on Valentine's Day

By MARIA TADEO - The Times

South African investigators are trying to gain access to Oscar Pistorius' mobile phone ahead of the trial that could see him convicted for murder.

Police hope to secure an agreement with the FBI to back their request for Apple to unlock the athlete's iPhone so its content can be analysed and presented in court, according to South Africa's Eyewitness News. The trial is due to start on 3 March.

Investigators need Apple to unlock the encrypted data on the phone because the Olympian can't remember his Apple ID code needed to access his messages. It is understood that the FBI must approve the request before Apple can be contacted for information.

Prosecutors said two iPhones and two BlackBerrys were found on the bathroom floor of Pistorius' villa in Pretoria where his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was shot dead on Valentine's Day last year.

Culpable Homicide (27 February 2013)

I'm no expert on South African law - but I suspect the term 'culpable homicide' has the same broad meaning the world over.

To me it means that someone accused of culpable homicide has caused another person's death - but has done so without malice or intent.

Now this a sensible aspect of the law although it is subject to abuse - since it is quite common for criminals to argue to argue that their actions were unintentional - that the deceased person  'ran on to the knife', for example.

Or that they fought back against their and died in the struggle - so their death was 'accidental'.

If the dead person was on their own - which is not unusual - then the accused person is often the only witness which can make it more difficult to secure a conviction - without other  evidence capable of undermining the 'accidental' version of events.

Yet in the case of Oscar Pistorious - I fail to see how his defence lawyers managed to keep a straight face when they argued that their client should face only a charge of culpable homicide - and not murder for killing Reeva Steenkamp.

Because even taking Oscar's story at face value - he shot four times through a toilet door a point blank range with a powerful handgun.

Which was clearly a deliberate act and he must have understood the likely consequences - for anyone on the other side.

So even if you swallow Oscar's version of events - his intent was surely to kill the person on the other side of the toilet door - albeit his 'mistake' lay in not realising that the person he was shooting at - was his girlfriend, Reeva.

And that's before anyone starts to look critically at the rest of his incredible story - about shuffling around on his backside allegedly in mortal fear for his life - without noticing that Reeva Steenkamp was not in bed but had got up and gone to use the bathroom.

I'm sure that much more evidence will come out when Oscar finally stands trial - but to my mind Oscar's behaviour and that of his family - has treated Reeva Steenkamp and her family with huge disrespect.       

Pitch Black (20 February 2013)

'If something doesn't make sense, then it's not true', is a favourite maxim of arguably the most famous judge in America - Judge Judy.

And although Judge Judy practices her craft in the TV studious these days, rather than a courtroom - I think that her advice is spot on in trying to decide who is telling the truth.

So on that basis and given the sworn statement read out in court yesterday - I have to say that the explanation offered by Oscar Pistorious for shooting his girlfriend - Reeva Steenkamp - dead in the middle of the night is unbelievable.

Oscar's story is that he got out of bed minus his artificial legs and went out to the balcony to bring a fan back into his bedroom - moving around on his stumps. 

The room was so completely pitch black that he couldn't see a thing - but he managed to get out of and back into the bedroom without noticing his girlfriend was in or out of bed - and neither of them said a single word  to each other.

On coming back into the bedroom Oscar says he heard a noise coming from the bathroom - and for reasons he has not explained as yet - he immediately concluded that a dangerous burglar was in his house and so he went for a hand gun which he kept under his bed.

Oscar says he then entered the bathroom in fear for his life and noticed the bathroom window was open - although up until that point, remember, Oscar says he couldn't see single thing in the pitch black.

Oscar then says that he heard noise coming from the toilet inside the bathroom (which was locked in the middle of the night) and shouted on his girlfriend - whom he thought was still in bed - to phone the police and call for assistance.

Before firing fours shots from his gun through the door of the toilet - four of which struck and killed Reeva Steenkamp.

Oscar says he then went back into the bedroom to discover that Reeva was not in bed - then it dawned on him that his girlfriend might be inside the toilet - rather than a dangerous, potentially armed robber.

Now Oscar's story seems wholly contrived to me - I have to admit.

From the alleged 'total blackout' within the bedroom, to the complete lack of communication between two people who must have got out of bed within seconds of each other (if Oscar's statement were true) - to his alleged belief that a burglar had come through the bathroom window and threatened Oscar's life - by heading straight to the toilet which the said burglar  then locked.

If you believe that, you'll believe anything - as they say.