The London Olympics (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter The Military Workshop
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Panzer ace
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In SA there were 309,583 murders from the year 1950 to 1993 (44 years – averaging 7,036 per year), meanwhile according to SAPS statistics, 193,649 murders were committed in 8 years after the "new democratic dispensation" came to power, thus giving an average of 24,206 per year (crime statistics for 2002/03 are not yet available). However if we consider the Interpol statistics, which are only available on their website for the years, 1995-1999 and 2001 (6 years), the number of persons murdered in South Africa within those 6 years is 287,292 – averaging 47,882 per year. Clearly the new government is not winning the war on crime, especially violent crime.
The Military Workshop
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Having been a Court Prosecutor (and done hundreds of bail objections) and also been a Detective this has been a fascinating case.
I think Police and Prosecutions are going to study this case in the future. As in how not to handle a high profile case.
I have no idea what the legal situation is in SA but I felt the Police were in a very difficult situation and pretty much having to prove their case with 48 hours of it happening. In the absence of an another person in the house the forensic evidence going to be vital to prove or disprove his story of what happened. In my experience a "normal" person should not have got bail in such a case and Judge would have remanded case until
some of the expert reports available (ballistics, blood and drugs found etc). The lead investigator should have been investigating not explaining the case in the few days after arrest. However on the other hand is he a flight risk since he is so high profile ?
How they could let Detective in charge be in charge when he had a pending gun / attempted murder against him is mind boggling. I note they have now appointed the top SA Detective to the case (a LTGEN). Too late as a lot of damage been done to police credibility in the case.
Personally I think he is going to have a very hard time when he gives evidence at trial. No sign of entry by alleged burglar, does not notice she is not in bed, did she cry out after first shot, did he try to warn person inside before firing, why not sit outside door with gun and call police or call girl to call police etc etc.
Brett
I think Police and Prosecutions are going to study this case in the future. As in how not to handle a high profile case.
I have no idea what the legal situation is in SA but I felt the Police were in a very difficult situation and pretty much having to prove their case with 48 hours of it happening. In the absence of an another person in the house the forensic evidence going to be vital to prove or disprove his story of what happened. In my experience a "normal" person should not have got bail in such a case and Judge would have remanded case until
some of the expert reports available (ballistics, blood and drugs found etc). The lead investigator should have been investigating not explaining the case in the few days after arrest. However on the other hand is he a flight risk since he is so high profile ?
How they could let Detective in charge be in charge when he had a pending gun / attempted murder against him is mind boggling. I note they have now appointed the top SA Detective to the case (a LTGEN). Too late as a lot of damage been done to police credibility in the case.
Personally I think he is going to have a very hard time when he gives evidence at trial. No sign of entry by alleged burglar, does not notice she is not in bed, did she cry out after first shot, did he try to warn person inside before firing, why not sit outside door with gun and call police or call girl to call police etc etc.
Brett
Combat
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Sleazy defense attorneys and poor prosecutors can allow a case to be distracted from the obvious. The guy has a history of domestic violence. He has a burglar alarm. He claims he did not have his legs on, but the shots were fired at an angle from above 5 feet. He fires multiple shots and must have ESP to have hit her four times through the door. No reasonable person wakes up and starts shooting through their bathroom door with other people in the house. It's a slam dunk what happened here.
jazzeum
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Without getting into the merits but why is his attorney a sleaze defense attorney. He's doing what he's paid to do: represent his client zealously who is entitled to an attorney.
I'm sure that if you got into trouble you'd want the best attorney you could afford.
I'm sure that if you got into trouble you'd want the best attorney you could afford.
Combat
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I'm sure all murderers would like to go free, but that doesn't concern me much. It's perfectly fine to defend a client, but not by any means including creating a circus and trying to make the case about something other than the evidence because your defendant is a celebrity. That's where most of these celebrity "trials" end up.
The Military Workshop
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Have to agree with Brad. Cant blame the defence for hiring the best lawyer they can get. Look at OJ's defence team for an all star legal line up.
Latest twist to this story :
Details of the post-mortem examination of South African model Steenkamp were withheld from last week’s bail application hearing.
But grieving relatives who saw her body before Tuesday’s cremation in Port Elizabeth described horrific injuries from the cricket bat, and entry wounds from 9mm bullets fired by Pistorius.
They were also briefed about the model’s death by police and lawyers from the state prosecutor’s office.
In a sworn affidavit read to the bail hearing in Pretoria magistrates’ court last week, Pistorius claimed that he used the bat to break down the toilet door after the shooting, saying he had not realised his girlfriend was in the bathroom.
The bloodstained bat, which is currently being examined by a police forensics team, will be key evidence when Pistorius goes on trial for premeditated murder.
The ‘Blade Runner’ – who has previously boasted about having a cricket bat, pistol and machine gun at home to defend himself against intruders – claims the bat became blood-spattered at the scene.
Last week the prosecution did not mention any details about the bat and the role they believe it played in Reeva’s death, opting not to disclose their case against Pistorius. But to secure bail, Pistorius’s legal team had to detail his defence, which included why he had a blood-spattered cricket bat in his possession on the fatal night.
Latest twist to this story :
Details of the post-mortem examination of South African model Steenkamp were withheld from last week’s bail application hearing.
But grieving relatives who saw her body before Tuesday’s cremation in Port Elizabeth described horrific injuries from the cricket bat, and entry wounds from 9mm bullets fired by Pistorius.
They were also briefed about the model’s death by police and lawyers from the state prosecutor’s office.
In a sworn affidavit read to the bail hearing in Pretoria magistrates’ court last week, Pistorius claimed that he used the bat to break down the toilet door after the shooting, saying he had not realised his girlfriend was in the bathroom.
The bloodstained bat, which is currently being examined by a police forensics team, will be key evidence when Pistorius goes on trial for premeditated murder.
The ‘Blade Runner’ – who has previously boasted about having a cricket bat, pistol and machine gun at home to defend himself against intruders – claims the bat became blood-spattered at the scene.
Last week the prosecution did not mention any details about the bat and the role they believe it played in Reeva’s death, opting not to disclose their case against Pistorius. But to secure bail, Pistorius’s legal team had to detail his defence, which included why he had a blood-spattered cricket bat in his possession on the fatal night.