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| Pistorius Trial Adjourns With Key Witness in Doubt | Pistorius Trial Adjourns With Key Witness in Doubt |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| PRETORIA, South Africa — After 25 days of testimony, the trial of Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee South African track star accused of murdering his girlfriend, adjourned on Thursday amid a report that a crucial defense witness will not take the stand when it resumes on May 5. | PRETORIA, South Africa — After 25 days of testimony, the trial of Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee South African track star accused of murdering his girlfriend, adjourned on Thursday amid a report that a crucial defense witness will not take the stand when it resumes on May 5. |
| Agence France-Presse quoted the witness, Reggie Perumal, a private forensic pathologist, as saying that he would not testify but declining to give further details. | Agence France-Presse quoted the witness, Reggie Perumal, a private forensic pathologist, as saying that he would not testify but declining to give further details. |
| The news agency said its reporter had contacted Mr. Perumal and asked if he would be testifying when the trial resumed. “No, ma’am,” the pathologist replied, adding, “I think you’re aware that I can’t say anything right now.” | The news agency said its reporter had contacted Mr. Perumal and asked if he would be testifying when the trial resumed. “No, ma’am,” the pathologist replied, adding, “I think you’re aware that I can’t say anything right now.” |
| Mr. Perumal could not be reached independently for comment. | Mr. Perumal could not be reached independently for comment. |
| The news seemed to be another setback for the defense after the state prosecutor, Gerrie Nel, grilled Roger Dixon, a forensics expert called by Mr. Pistorius’s team, on Thursday about events in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013, when Mr. Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, saying he mistook her for an intruder. He has been charged with premeditated murder. | The news seemed to be another setback for the defense after the state prosecutor, Gerrie Nel, grilled Roger Dixon, a forensics expert called by Mr. Pistorius’s team, on Thursday about events in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013, when Mr. Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, saying he mistook her for an intruder. He has been charged with premeditated murder. |
| During almost five days of intensive and withering cross-examination, Mr. Nel sought to highlight inconsistencies in Mr. Pistorius’s account of events when, the athlete says, he opened fire on a locked toilet cubicle door believing at least one intruder was inside. | During almost five days of intensive and withering cross-examination, Mr. Nel sought to highlight inconsistencies in Mr. Pistorius’s account of events when, the athlete says, he opened fire on a locked toilet cubicle door believing at least one intruder was inside. |
| Mr. Nel has also forced Mr. Dixon to acknowledge that he trained as a geologist and does not have expertise in several forensic areas, including ballistics and pathology. Some of Mr. Dixon’s testimony also appeared to contradict Mr. Pistorius’s own evidence. | Mr. Nel has also forced Mr. Dixon to acknowledge that he trained as a geologist and does not have expertise in several forensic areas, including ballistics and pathology. Some of Mr. Dixon’s testimony also appeared to contradict Mr. Pistorius’s own evidence. |
| A key point of contention between defense and prosecution has been testimony by a state pathologist, Gert Saayman, who said that an autopsy examination of Ms. Steenkamp’s stomach showed she had eaten around two hours before her death. | A key point of contention between defense and prosecution has been testimony by a state pathologist, Gert Saayman, who said that an autopsy examination of Ms. Steenkamp’s stomach showed she had eaten around two hours before her death. |
| Mr. Pistorius, 27, said he and Ms. Steenkamp, 29, were asleep at that time and could not therefore have begun arguing, as the prosecution contends. | Mr. Pistorius, 27, said he and Ms. Steenkamp, 29, were asleep at that time and could not therefore have begun arguing, as the prosecution contends. |
| Mr. Saayman has testified that “to the best of my recollection” he and Mr. Perumal had been in agreement about the examination of Ms. Steenkamp’s stomach contents. | Mr. Saayman has testified that “to the best of my recollection” he and Mr. Perumal had been in agreement about the examination of Ms. Steenkamp’s stomach contents. |
| Last week, the defense called another expert, Jan Botha, a former state pathologist, who said the technique used to establish whether Ms. Steenkamp had eaten — known as “gastric emptying” — was controversial and imprecise. | |
| Before testimony began on Thursday, Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa offered an unusual admonition to people following the hearings on a live television link from an adjacent courtroom, saying she had received reports that they were behaving in an unruly manner — “jumping on benches, cheering and doing what they like” — and that they should stop. | Before testimony began on Thursday, Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa offered an unusual admonition to people following the hearings on a live television link from an adjacent courtroom, saying she had received reports that they were behaving in an unruly manner — “jumping on benches, cheering and doing what they like” — and that they should stop. |
| “It is not an entertainment place,” Judge Masipa said. “It is not a picnic nest.” If the spectators do not abide by usual courtroom standards, she said, “security will ensure that they leave.” | “It is not an entertainment place,” Judge Masipa said. “It is not a picnic nest.” If the spectators do not abide by usual courtroom standards, she said, “security will ensure that they leave.” |