Pistorius Relied on "Primal Instincts," Defense Says

(ATR) Olympian Oscar Pistorius relied on his "primal instincts" the night he fatally shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, according to defense attorney Barry Roux.

The defense officially made its closing argument on Friday at the Pretoria High Court.

Reuters says Roux focused on psychological evidence that proves the Paralympian has a "heightened" fight response in light of his disability.

"You're standing at that door. You're vulnerable. You're anxious. You're trained as an athlete to react," Roux argued.

"Take all those factors into account," Roux added. "He stands with his finger on the trigger, ready to fire when ready. In some instances, a person will fire reflexively.

"That is your primal instinct."

Roux told the judge that the state made mistakes, citing multiple instances of chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel showing insufficient reason for calling Pistorius a liar.

CNN'sFaith Karimi and Emily Smith report Rouxpresented evidence indicating that officers disturbed the crime scene. This contradicts the state's claim that Pistorius tampered with the scene.

Karimi and Smith say Roux argued that the "burden of proof is on the state in this case," and accused the state of "avoiding certain important facts and ignoring other reasonable scenarios."

Roux concluded by saying the facts of the case are"inconsistent with an intention to kill."

Pistorius has confessed to firing the bullets that killed Reeva Steenkamp, but affirms he mistook her for an intruder on Valentine's Day of 2013. The prosecution has argued the Paralympian deliberately murdered his girlfriend following an argument that night.

Now it is up to Judge Thokozile Masipa to decide whether the double-amputee sincerely made a mistake or intentionally murdered Steenkamp.

If the judge finds Pistorius guilty of murder,CNN legal analysts say the Paralympic gold medalist could face a prison term ranging from 15 years to life.

Written byNicole Bennett

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