Pistorius Defense Plans to Take Two More Weeks

(ATR) The defense team for Olympian Oscar Pistorius resumed its case Monday and plans to take two more weeks before closing arguments are made.

Johan Stander, a friend and neighbor of Pistorius, took the stand on Monday and described being the first to arrive at the scene where the Paralympian shot his girlfriend on Valentine's Day of 2013.

Stander testified that Pistorius called him that night and begged him to come over:"Please, please, please come to my house. I've shot Reeva. I thought she was an intruder. Please, please, please come quick."

Upon arriving at the scene, Stander told the court the double-amputee was "praying, crying, torn apart."

He added, "And his commitment to save the young lady's life ... when he put his finger in the young lady's mouth ... how he begged her to stay alive ... I saw the truth that morning.I saw it. And I feel it."

During his cross-examination, chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel challenged Stander's description of the shooting as a "mistake."

The prosecution has aimed to undermine the Paralympian's credibility and disrupt hisversion of events that took place the night of Steenkamp's killing. Nel claims Pistorius intentionally shot his girlfriend after a heated argument.

Following Stander's testimony, the defense called his daughter Carice Viljoen as a witness whotestified to hearing a man shouting, "help, help, help," the night of the shooting.

"My heart was pounding so fast. I was very afraid," Viljoen added.

The defense is expected to call 14 to 17 witnesses throughout the duration of the trial, which isexpected to last into mid-May before Judge Thokozile Masipa makes a decision.If convicted, Pistorius faces 25 years in jail.

Written byNicole Bennett

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