Oscar Pistorius sentencing: Killer walks on stumps in court as he pleads for lighter sentence

Oscar Pistorius removed his prostheses to walk on his stumps in a packed court room during the closing stages of his sentencing as his lawyer pleaded for a light sentence.

The South African runner was asked to take off his artificial legs by his defence attorney Barry Roux who said it will be “embarrassing” for his client.

The weeping athlete removed his prostheses and began to walk in court where he appeared to be in pain and struggled to maintain his balance.

Pistorius held onto a desk for support as Mr Roux pointed at him and said this was a man who was frightened by a noise at 3am.

Mr Roux said in court: “I don’t want to overplay vulnerability, that’s not what I want to do. I don’t want to overplay disability.

“But the time has come that we must just look with different eyes, at least with unbiased eyes."

"Embarrassing": Oscar Pistorius removed his prostheses to walk on his stumps in a packed court room 
Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

The defence lawyer argued the former Paralympian should be given a lighter sentence despite the Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that Pistorius is guilty of murder.

He shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

Ms Steenkamp's cousin today described the enduring “scars” left by the model’s murder as she gave evidence at the hearing.

Kim Martin told the court in Pretoria how “every celebration” had “become a funeral” in the wake of the fatal shooting three years ago.

She said: "I am coping, getting on with my life, but the scars and the effects runs very, very deep. We will never get over it, but I am the mother of three children, I have to give them hope for the future.”

The Paralympic gold medal winner is facing a minimum of 15 years behind bars for the murder of his 29-year-old girlfriend after an earlier manslaughter conviction was overturned.

The mother-of-three described the “guilt” of her uncle Barry – who gave moving testimony to the court yesterday – who had been left “broken” by his terrible loss.

“He is a broken man, he lives day to day on his phone watching the posts about Reeva. He has the guilt of a father not being able to protect his daughter, it is very difficult for him,” she told the packed court house.

During brief cross-examination, Mr Roux told the dead woman’s cousin that although he had not subjected her uncle to questioning, “There comes a point when we have to draw a line.”

He then proceeded to read from interviews close friends of the model’s had given in the days and months after her murder in which they had spoke positively about Pistorius and his relationship with Reeva.

Mrs Martin was the final state witness at the hearing. The hearing is scheduled to run until Friday.

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