Oscar Pistorius’s mental illness is too “severe” for him to testify at his sentencing for murder, a psychologist told a Pretoria court this morning.
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Pistorius is being re-sentenced after his initial conviction of culpable homicide was converted to one of murder on appeal.
Pistorius, who shot Steenkamp dead through a bathroom door in 2013, maintains that he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder and is not guilty of murder.
After exhausting all his legal options to avoid prison, Pistorius could now face at least 15 years behind bars.
Chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel questioned why Pistorius was unable to testify this week after he did manage to conduct a television interview for ITV.
Scholtz added that Pistorius “has nearly given up, his spirit seems broken” and he should be in hospital as his mental condition had worsened over the last two years. “Mr Pistorius does not have the personality characteristics usually associated with antisocial personality disorder or psychopathy”, Dr Jonathan Scholtz told court today.
Since the incident, Pistorius has sold all of his firearms and is still traumatized by the sound of them, according to Scholtz.
Steenkamp’s family argued that Pistoruis killed Steenkamp, 29, after an argument.
Oscar Pistorius supporters gather opposite North Gauteng High Court.
Pistorius is now living under house arrest after initially serving one year of a five-year prison sentence for manslaughter for shooting Steenkamp in 2013.
Nel also said Pistorius was not confined to his cell for 18 hours a day, but rather was allowed to walk around a wing of the prison he shared with only one other inmate.
Prosecutors said that Pistorius had meant to kill Ms. Steenkamp, who had fled behind a locked bathroom door during an argument.
Pistorius is being sentenced again, this time for murder, and not culpable homicide for the 2013 shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the lower court did not correctly apply the rule of dolus eventualis – whether the sportsman knew that a death would be a likely result of his actions.
Steenkamp’s parents were both in court on Monday, and her father Barry may take the witness box to ask the court to impose a lengthy punishment.
Pistorius lost millions of dollars in endorsements and sponsorships after reaching the pinnacle of his fame in London 2012 when he became the first double amputee to run in the Olympics, reaching the 400m semi-finals.
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Convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius was aggressive and verbally abusive towards prison officials during his first month in jail, the Pretoria High Court heard on Monday.
