Do you think Oscar Pistorius is guilty of premeditated murder?

Scroll to see replies

I havnt been following the case that closely, so I don't know if these are just rumours. But when the story first broke there reports that there had been domestic incidents at the house before. If that is true then I'm leaning towards guilty of murder. Plus does anyone remember all the bitter stuff he said at the Olympics because he didn't win. About how the winners blades were illegal.

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 121

username1042689

Original post by RedBug

The intruder story is a very poor excuse. It's obvious to any sane person that he had an argument with his wife, threatend her, then she ran into the bathroom for protection so he shot her through the door.
The neighbours even aknowledged to hearing screaming and shouting before the incident.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Few flaws in that argument imo, though it's plausible:

-The neighbour who heard screaming apparently lived 2000ft away
-He has no legs; obvious weakness there if she was scared of him
-If you're running away from someone threatening, who has a gun, locking yourself in the bathroom, where there is no escape, doesn't seem the best course of action (although admittedly it was 3am)

Reply 122

username1042689

Original post by heirloom

I've been following the case; the police released that information misleadingly. In truth, there has been one such charge against Pistorius; it did not involve Reeva; there was apparently no legal basis for it, so they never charged him; and he's now suing the woman who accused him for malicious defamation.

The media really do like pouncing on rumours.
(Just for the record, I don't know if he's guilty.)

Reply 123

linkdapink

I think this is going to turn into an OJ style case where its basically police incompetence which is brought under the spotlight with everything near enough so far (though not in such a crazy way as OJ - this is NOTHING like OJ!).

But I can't get my head around this part - you wake up, and you hear something in the house, you have no legs - do you a) immediatly put on your prosthetic limbs and go and shoot the noises or do you b) wake up your girlfriend and ask if she hears the noises - and then realise she's not there.

All in all though, I can believe the story that he was fearful that there was an intruder in the house and shot out of panic. I know friends who have been held up at gunpoint more than once in South Africa, and my uncle has been kidnapped more than a handful of times too!

Reply 124

pinkangelgirl

Original post by Rgman27

Lol...they do. Murder has to be premediated

I thought it just had to be intended?

Reply 125

Kerny

It's hard to say, but the intruder story seems pretty dodgy. He is apparently a hero in his country, too.

Reply 126

georose

Regardless of if he thought it was an intruder or not, it's still premeditated murder. He purposely got up with the intention to shoot whoever it was in the bathroom. The fact that he was so quick to shoot someone without being sure is ridiculous anyway... especially four times.

Reply 127

heirloom

Original post by paradoxicalme

I don't really know what to think any more.I hope that he's not guilty just because I don't want to think that someone has murdered someone. It makes me sad for humanity that someone could do such a cruel thing.
I just did a quick read of the thread so far, it seems so far that the only thing that Oscar could be pulled up on is whether he was wearing the prosthetics or not
You would think the SA police would get their best officers on the case, and if the best are there I'm glad I don't live there.

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 128

michael1238

If he done intentionally which I think he did

I would hang him horribly bastard

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 129

flit

It was definitely murder, but whether premeditated or in the heat of the moment is something only Oscar knows. I can't wait for him to tell the trial court, "I knew my girlfriend was in the house, but when I heard a noise in the bathroom, I just assumed it was an intruder, and without checking whether it was my gf or not, just fired straight through the door."
He'll swing (metaphorically).

Reply 130

Delavie

Original post by Systemic

it depends on the person's character, that is your reasoning but an overly-confident person that thinks they are clever enough to get way with murder...can probably execute this crime- why involve other people when you are more likely to get caught i.e in the Dewani case. Calling the ambulance is just a premeditated cover up.

Even if he can prove that the murder was not premeditated, he still has something to loose, it's in the media so his reputation is tarnished and he still has to go to prison even if for a reduce sentence (maybe manslaughter). If he was clever and it was premeditated, then yes he would get someone else to do the dirty work. After all he wouldn't wat to experience those good old no playing African jails.

Reply 131

Delavie

Original post by michael1238

If he done intentionally which I think he did

I would hang him horribly bastard

Posted from TSR Mobile

then you would soon be joining the bastard ranks

Reply 132

The Wild Youth

Original post by RedBug

Sorry but it's not obvious actually. Do some research of the hearing today; the prosecution were in trouble and the intruder 'story' is holding up very well.

The neighbors as witnesses has also been discussed at length - they live 300-600m away from Pistorius' house, agreed that they couldn't confirm it was voices coming from Pistorius' house and reported 8 shots being fired, not 4; it's a far less credible then many seem to think.

Reply 133

paddyman4

I don't see how it can possibly be premeditated. If he planned to kill her, surely he'd come up with a better plan.

Reply 134

kka25

Original post by paradoxicalme

My goodness :frown:

Reply 135

Rooster523

Original post by georose

The main crux of this story imo is the charge. Why would you carry out a pre-meditated murder through a bathroom door? Doesn't seem logical at all.

The way I've interpreted the evidence, Pistorious seems innocent. He claims he thought his missus was in bed and called to her as he thought he had an intruder.

Now if you call to your partner (who you think is in bed) that you've got an intruder and the bathroom door locks, do you think it is A) your missus or B) an intruder?

I see it that Pistorious heard the door lock and presumed it was the intruder hiding in an attempt not to get caught and, as you do in South Africa, Pistorious shot 'him' before being shot himself.

Reply 136

zaliack

And there goes the case. The lead prosecutor is apparently scheduled in court in May on a 7 charges of attempted murder.

Reply 137

Swanbow

Original post by beaver_tron

Plus one'd for this. I remember when they tried to jail those miners who rioted, the police killed a load of them, then prosecuted the rioters. I think the UN or a human rights group stepped in before it got to actually imprisoning them.

To be honest the miners were charging the Police with spears and machetes, in a similar situation I would have probably also pulled the trigger. Still it was a tragedy and it was an insult to injury to try prosecute them on a collective murder charge that was a relic from Apartheid-era legislation anyway. I think the governing party eventually coerced the prosecutors to withdraw the charges, which is corrupt and unconstitutional but in this case actually a dose of common sense.

Reply 138

FrogInABog

Original post by zaliack

And there goes the case. The lead prosecutor is apparently scheduled in court in May on a 7 charges of attempted murder.

I saw this story when I woke up this morning, and I was absolutely astonished. The prosecution has fallen to bits, largely thanks to the idiotic Detective Botha, who seems to have lost half of the evidence, mislabeled some 'steroids', revealed that a key 'witness' was nearly half a mile away, and then changed his story. To top it all off, he's now in court for his own attempted murder charges.

I had hoped that Pistorious was innocent, and I still do, but any chance of a fair trial is slipping away very rapidly. Besides, all this has come out at the bail hearing, so heaven knows what the prosecution are going to do at the actual trial.

Reply 139

Guy Secretan

I think they had an argument about their relationship which was sparked by valentines day then maybe he hit her with the cricket bat so she locked herself in the bathroom and then he shot her.