Oscar Pistorius has today been acquitted of the two murder charges against him for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.
Judge Thokozile Masipa has not yet pronounced her final verdict, and he could still be found guilty of culpable homicide (manslaughter), when the judgement continues at the high court in Pretoria tomorrow.
Today Masipa found that Pistorius did not intentionally kill Steenkamp, however she did find him guilty of negligence in failing to consider the outcome when he fired four gunshots through the locked bathroom door.
The Olympian and Paralympian maintains that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired the gun in the early hours of the morning. The prosecution argues that he murdered his girlfriend of three months after they had argued.
Steenkamp, a model and law graduate, was 29 when she died. Pistorius, 27, pleads not guilty to all the charges against him – murder, two additional counts of shooing a firearm in public and the illegal possession of ammunition.
In summarising the trial today, Masipa said that there were inconsistencies, both in the testimonies of witnesses who said they heard screams and gunshots, and in Pistorius' account. She described Pistorius as a 'very poor witness' for his contradictions under cross-examination.
However, the judge said that the "The state clearly has not proved beyond all reasonable doubt that the accused was guilty of premeditated murder. There are just not enough facts to support such a finding."
If he is found guilty of culpable homicide, he could face a sentence of up to fifteen years in prison.
Pistorius looked anxious in court and cried as the summary was read. He broke down in tears several times during the trial, and he vomited in the dock in March when graphic details were given of the victim's injuries.
Steenkamp and Pistorius were known to share a Christian faith. The athlete, who has 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 tattooed on his back, referenced his faith during the trial, which began on 3 March. He was seen holding rosary beads in the courtroom, and said: "My religion is what's gotten me through this last year... my God is my refuge."
On 7 April, when Pistorius took the stand for the first time, he apologised to the Steenkamp family, saying: "I wake up every morning and you're the first people I think of, the first people I pray for. I can't imagine the pain and the sorrow and the emptiness that I've caused you and your family. I was simply trying to protect Reeva. I can promise that when she went to bed that night she felt loved."
The prosecution showed footage of Pistorius shooting a watermelon, comparing it to shooting someone in the head. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel also referred to a time when Pistorius had fired his gun through the sunroof of his car after being stopped by police.
They also highlighted a message that Steenkamp sent to Pistorius a few days before the shooting in which she said she was afraid of Pistorius. "I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you will react to me," she wrote.
In May, forensic psychiatrist Dr Meryll Vorster, a defence witness, said Pistorius suffered from general anxiety disorder, partly as a result of his double amputation, which could have affected his decision making at the time of the shooting.
The trial was then postponed while Pistorius underwent a month-long psychiatric evaluation. In July he was found to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, but no mental illness at the time of the incident that would have prevented him differentiating between right and wrong.
In mid-July Pistorius returned to Twitter, having not used the social media site since the anniversary of the shooting. He posted a few spiritual messages, including an image with the prayer, "Lord I ask that you bathe those who live in pain in the river of your healing."
Steenkamp's family have also talked about the importance of their faith in dealing with the tragedy. Mike Steenkamp, Reeva's uncle, has spoken of his desire to forgive Pistorius face to face.
And in an interview with Hello! magazine in July, June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, said: "She'll only rest in peace when this is over. I trust that God will prevail and justice will be done. All we want is the truth."
"I don't hate Oscar," she said, "I've forgiven him. I have to – that's my religion."
