Oscar Pistorius trial: Reeva Steenkamp Valentine’s card presented to court

Reeva Steenkamp Valentine’s card has been presented to court during Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial in Pretoria.

Reeva Steenkamp had intended to give the card to Oscar Pistorius before he shot her dead.

The athlete read the poem to the court after five days of gruelling cross-examination.

Earlier, Oscar Pistorius said he was “heartbroken” when he saw her body in the early hours of Valentine’s Day last February.

Oscar Pistorius denies murder, saying he fired through a door in fear, believing there was an intruder behind it.

The prosecution says he deliberately shot dead Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, after the couple had had an argument.

Oscar Pistorius, 27, faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder.

His defense lawyer Barry Roux presented to the court the Valentine card which Reeva Steenkamp had got the athlete.

The double-amputee sprinter read the card out in a trembling voice.

The front of the card reads: “Roses are red, violets are blue…”

Inside, Reeva Steenkamp had written: “I think today is a good day to tell you that, I love you.”

Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead in the early hours of Valentine’s Day – before they had opened each other’s cards and gifts.

Oscar Pistorius has previously told the court he only opened the card on Reeva Steenkamp’s birthday, in August 2013.

On the final day of his cross-examination, Oscar Pistorius said that after shooting and realizing Reeva Steenkamp was not in the bedroom as he believed, he tried to break down the door with his shoulder, before using a cricket bat, all the time screaming in panic.

He said he stopped screaming when he finally opened the door and saw the body.

When prosecutor Gerrie Nel asked why, Oscar Pistorius replied, his voice trembling with emotion: “I was heartbroken… overcome with sadness.”

“I crouched down over her… and I checked to see if she was breathing or if she had a pulse,” he said.

But this was disputed by prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

“You fired four shots through the door whilst knowing that she was standing behind the door,” he said.

“She was locked into the bathroom and you armed yourself with the sole purpose of shooting and killing her.”

Oscar Pistorius replied: “That is not true.”

The athlete has previously said he and Reeva Steenkamp had spent a quiet evening together before he woke up on hearing a noise in the bathroom.

During the cross-examination, Oscar Pistorius broke down in tears on several occasions.

Gerrie Nel suggested that he was doing this on purpose when he was struggling to explain his actions.

Oscar Pistorius has now ended his testimony.

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