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#OscarPistorius arrives at court for his 2nd day of evidence. Live blog on @smh shortly, as he's taken thru shooting pic.twitter.com/cqb3izBjU5 — Lisa Davies (@lisazdavies) April 8, 2014
Reeva Steenkamp's mother June is back in court, as is the staunch group of Pistorius' family. His sister Aimee, uncle Arnold and a number of other relatives have taken their place in the first row.
It's widely expected Pistorius' barrister, Barry Roux SC, will guide him through evidence about the shooting at Tasha's restaurant, which relates to the gun charges he also faces, before moving onto the night in question.
#OscarTrial the police have deployed a clinical psychologist from their Investigative Psychology Section to monitor Oscar’s testimony. BB — Barry Bateman (@barrybateman) April 8, 2014
Court is full-to-bursting today. International media from the UK, the USA, Brazil and of course Australia, as well as dozens of media outlets from around South Africa are represented. There is also a very healthy public gallery here, as well as in the 'overflow' court next door.
Team Pistorius will be hoping he slept well on Monday night. The court adjourned slightly early yesterday after we heard the athlete was "exhausted" and hadn't slept on Sunday night.
It was an emotional day yesterday, and that's not likely to change today as we move into the evidence of the night he shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp.
And we are underway ... Judge Masipa and her two assessors are in court, as she reminds Pistorius he is still under oath.
Mr Roux starts by asking Pistorius about his relationship with Reeva Steenkamp.
Athlete says he met Reeva in November 2012, at a "track day" and they hit it off over lunch.
He said he belatedly invited her to the South African Sports Awards and said they had the "most amazing time, it was a lot of fun, it was a fantastic date".
They were up talking until 3am, and began to see each other almost every day.
Ms Steenkamp then went overseas for a TV show, and when she came back they spent more time together.
Pistorius appears bashful about how the relationship began, saying he never expected her to be willing to go on a date with him, particularly at less two hours notice.
Pistoirus said "we both had things that kept us back", having come out of relationships.
"I was very keen on Reeva, I think if anything I was more into her than she was at times," he said.
He says he was "besotted with her."
In January 2013, the pair started talking about "future plans" and had discussed interior decorations.
"There were many things we had in common ... we started really seeing a future together," he said.
The pair discussed plans, and Pistorius was considering moving to Johannesburg, where she was based.
"We just really enjoyed each other's company," he said.
Mr Roux is now starting to ask him about the WhatsApp messages ... the court has previously seen dozens of loving messages between Pistorius and Steenkamp, as well as a couple of arguments in which the model reveals she was afraid of his mood swings, when he lashes out at her.
Pistorius says the pair shared a love of motor vehicles.
Mr Roux then takes him through some of the messages between the couple.
He is then asked to explain a message Reeva sent to Oscar about seeing "rabbit things" in his house, and he says it's about a rabbit carving he gave to people as gifts.
Another message in which Reeva tells him she was "not a stripper or a ho" is explained away by Pistorius as her telling him he was over-reacting about something.
#OscarPistorius Pretty jumbled set of phone text messages here. What's Roux's point? — Gerald Imray (@GeraldImrayAP) April 8, 2014
We now get to the long WhatsApp message Ms Steenkamp wrote to Pistorius after an engagement party, during which the pair had a fight because Pistorius accused her of flirting with another man.
The crucial part of this message is where Ms Steenkamp says: "I'm scared of you sometimes, and how u snap at me and of how u will react to me."
Pistorius is trying not to cry as he reads it aloud.
Pistorius sniffles and cries as he reads her words. Wipes his eyes and nose with a tissue.
Mr Roux asks about the background to the message.
Pistorius: "My lady we were at an engagement party ... it was a bad day in our relationship.
"I came through from Pretoria, I had to wait for Reeva's friend, she was late and was making us late.
He said Reeva began talking to a man he didn't know: "I think maybe I was just being sensitive and felt insecure and jealous."
He said the pair left the party, and he knew Reeva was "also in a short mood with me".
Even though she had been due to spend the afternoon at his place, he dropped her off at her own house and did not speak until after she sent the message.
We now look at Pistorius' response...
Pistorius reads his reply, which starts with him saying he wants "to sort this out".
His voice cracks a bit as he reads his apologetic message in reply, explaining he was not well, hungry, etc.
Reeva replied to that message with: xxxxx
Pistorius says this is proof the argument had been resolved.
Defence is trying to show that the flare-ups in their relationship were quickly resolved. Pistorius can't deny there were disputes, but is highlighting the resolutions a short time afterward.
Moving onto the other bitter exchange, a week before Reeva's death after the pair attended the Virgin Active sports awards event.
This message begins: "I like to believe that I make u proud..."
It's the one that concludes: I can't be attacked by outsiders for dating u AND be attacked by you, the one person I deserve protection from."
He once again puts the fight down to him being tired and irritable from training etc.
Pistorius says she was an "emotional person" and didn't want to go to sleep without resolving the fight.
"She had been in a difficult relationship in the past ... she told me that she often got her back up against a wall fairly easily," he said.
He says the argument was settled by him phoning her, rather than messaging in reply.
Says he prefers to resolve situations like that, rather than messaging.
Pistorius' brother Carl has arrived in court 45 minutes after trial resumed. Sits on end of family's front row position.
Pistorius is still sniffling and speaking monotonously through his evidence.
He is reading aloud messages where he asks if she is safe.
Mr Roux asks why he needed to know.
"Because I care about her - I obviously cared about her," he replies, failing in his attempt to fight back the tears.
Reeva's friend, Gina Meyers visibly upset in court as #Pistorius testifies about whatsapp messages. — Pumza Fihlani (@Pumza_Fihlani) April 8, 2014
Another message, in which Reeva tells Oscar: "I'm here."
Pistorius says it means "she's by my side. Not physically, but she's here."
He replies that there was "just a lot of pressure" and Mr Roux asks him what he was referring to.
"Just pressure in general, I was dealing with a lot of things, both pressure from the media side, and pressure from the training side ... pressure on finances as I was purchasing a new home. A lot of external factors, I think, contributed to that."
We are going very slowly through these WhatsApp messages. Have not yet addressed the Tasha's restaurant shooting, the day he allegedly fired a bullet out of an open sunroof, or the fatal shooting incident.
#Pistorius From the pace on court, it is likely his evidence in chief won't finish today. — NickiGoulding_CNN (@NickiGoulding) April 8, 2014
He also tells the court that Reeva received "hate mail" for dating him.
He now moves into his prior relationship with Samantha Taylor, claiming she confessed to sleeping with someone while he was at Olympics.
There is some dispute about this - Ms Taylor was asked about it in her evidence, and denied that's what happened at all. We haven't seen the email.
The sour end to his relationship with Samantha Taylor is the subject of a monologue from Pistorius, who says she continued to pursue him after her alleged cheating, but he refused to answer her texts. "I knew what was right and wrong."
He says Reeva received a lot of hate via fake twitter accounts, and believed Samantha Taylor may have been behind it.
"She really struggled with that," he says, adding it brought a lot of stress to her life.
#OscarPistorius says he was helping Reeva sign with a new management agency at the time of her death. @eNCAnews — Karyn Maughan (@karynmaughan) April 8, 2014
"She really struggled with it and dont think she'd dealt with that amount of attention before which came with dating me" - Pistorius — Aislinn Laing (@Simmoa) April 8, 2014
Interesting insight to the tensions in the relationship. Irrespective of his temper and her behaviour, he was an international sporting icon, and she was trying to establish her modelling career in her own right. Can't have been easy ground on which to forge a relationship.
More messages between the couple, loving exchanges.
Pistorius wrote in January: "Thank you for being the most beautiful person to me. I'm crazy about you and when I look at you I smile inside."
#OscarPistorius talking about RS going to function without him - trying to show he wasnt overly possessive. — Alex Crawford (@AlexCrawfordSky) April 8, 2014
Interesting that the function she was going to was a "sexiest man" contest. Mr Roux asks Pistorius felt that she went alone (he couldn't attend) and he admits he was "unhappy" but understood he couldn't always be by her side.
She sent him a picture of herself going to the event, with kisses after it.
#OscarTrial Reeva told Oscar how much she missed him at the event. BB — Barry Bateman (@barrybateman) April 8, 2014
Samantha Taylor is clearing watching the and listening to the case at home. She has just tweeted this:
Last lies you get to tell.. You better make it worth your while — Samantha Taylor (@samraytay) April 8, 2014
Pistorius says in his family, females aren't allowed to drive alone at night because of "smash and grabs".
"It's not safe," he says.
Sound of people shifting in seats in court, as #OscarPistorius continues lengthy reading of loving texts. — andrew harding (@BBCAndrewH) April 8, 2014
Pistorius in tears again as he reads another message from Reeva, which says she tries to sooth his concerns over finances.
"And if u can’t pay for it anymore one day and I can’t help you either then we run away to the eastern country and live in exile from the banks. Ill bake to make money and ill still look after u ok."
Pistorius' ex-girlfriend, Samantha Taylor is getting a lot of social media attention for her angry response to his evidence today.
She was herself incredibly tearful when she gave evidence for the state, accusing Pistorius of cheating on her with Reeva.
Hell hath no fury....
Reeva sent picture of herself to #OscarPistorius after having her hair done with highlights etc pic.twitter.com/nmWaJYqwUy — Jacaranda Newsteam (@JacaNews) April 8, 2014
As Pistorius continues reading out the lovey-dovey messages between the couple, Sam Taylor is on the receiving end of a barrage of messages in response to her Twitter post.
Some saying she "never loved Oscar", urging her to "grow up" and being bitter because "she got caught cheating".
In month before she died, Reeva celebrated the fact that some of twitter accounts she was receiving abuse from were suspended.
"Yay boo 1 account I reported got suspended. another 3 to go! Including the loser who told me to go fuck myself yesterday."
Meanwhile, also on Twitter, Pistorius' former close friend has also posted about the trial:
Its that kind of a day today, head down and carry on — Darren Fresco (@TheFrisco_kid) April 8, 2014
Oh, now Sam Taylor has deleted her Tweet. Probably wise...
Pistorius tells the court he once sprinkled roses and chocolates on his bed after Reeva had a bad day.
He continues to fight back tears as he reads these messages.
It's laborious.
Mr Roux seems to be canvassing almost every single message that shows the pair to be loving, tender and happy.
Defence is leaving no stone unturned as they try to ensure court is in no doubt Pistorius was madly in love with Reeva, and therefore would never have intentionally hurt her.
#OscarTrial it’s quite clear the couple spent a considerable amount of time messaging each other - dozens a day. BB — Barry Bateman (@barrybateman) April 8, 2014
#OscarPistorius The runner's sister Aimee listens to him reading out the messages swapped with Steenkamp pic.twitter.com/afJliR7Tez — Alex Crawford (@AlexCrawfordSky) April 8, 2014
We are now up to the day before the shooting - February 13, 2013.
Reeva sent Pistorius a message regarding a potential meeting with her ex, Warren, and Pistorius is asked to explain.
"Warren was her ex-boyfriend. They dated for a very long time. Reeva had a good friendship with him."
They stayed in contact, he added.
Judge Masipa now takes the morning tea adjournment... just 20 minutes. Pistorius sits down in the dock after she leaves the bench, burying head in hands.
We're back underway at the Pretoria High Court.
We are dealing with the messages sent the day before Reeva died, February 13.
Pistorius reads one in which Reeva says it's "a difficult thing to try and console you on baba because it's a shitty thing and you're a nice guy."
Pistorius said "it had to do with a meeting I had."
Going through the messages sent the afternoon before the shooting. In one, Oscar tells Reeva he will be home at 6pm, and says she can stay the night.
Another, he says he's at the physio.
"I had issues with my shoulder, my right shoulder, for a while and I was receiving physio treatment for it."
Then he tells her she is not going to training because his "shoulder is stuffed."
Mr Roux tells the court he will now lead Pistorius through evidence relating to the three gun charges, and we begin with the allegations he shot a firearm out an open sunroof on a drive back from a trip to the Vaal River.
Darren Fresco and Samantha Taylor have both testified about this, and say it occurred. Pistorius likely to say both are wrong.
Pistorius says on the way back, Fresco was driving. He sat in passenger side, Sam Taylor in the back. They stopped at Justin Devaris' house on way back. Athlete says he had a flight to Scotland that night.
They were pulled over by the traffic police, asking Mr Fresco to get out of the vehicle.
Pistorius' says he "always" carries his firearm with him, but when he was asked to get out of the vehicle he left it on the passenger seat because he did not want to approach police with a firearm (probably wise!)
After a discussion between the officers, one spotted his firearm in the vehicle.
Mid-way through his very detailed description of what took place, Judge Masipa asks him to slow down.
He says police officer was "aggressive" when he asked about the gun, saying "he lost his temper".
"At this point I was quite agitated," he said. "I thought they would arrest (Darren) for speeding."
Listening to this version, Pistorius is a calm, innocent victim of police harrassment he and Mr Fresco because of the latter's speeding.
"I just remember arriving at Mr Devaris' house."
So he denies firing his gun in anger out of the sunroof...
"It never happened, My Lady," he says.
"Mr Fresco and Ms Taylor said we went to do paperwork at a shooting range ... the only paperwork I remember doing was (on another occasion)."
Now to the Tasha's restaurant shooting. Expect another rejection of the evidence of others present.
Says he asked Fresco to pass him the gun because he "wanted to see if it had a groove on the front of the firearm, an attachment for a flashlight."
He says he was making "sure firearm was save" but as he "checked the chamber a round went off."
"I was angry initially that Mr Fresco had handed me a gun which had a round in the chamber," he tells the court, saying he handed the weapon back.
He said he was relieved nobody had been hurt but "angry that he had been careless."
He claims Fresco told him not to say anything.
Court previously heard it was Pistorius who begged the others not to say it was him.
"I think we were both to blame. Me for asking for the gun, him (Fresco) for handing me a gun that was one up," Pistorius says.
Admits telling Fresco and the others he couldn't afford for people to misinterpret what had occurred.
Pistorius claims he took blame telling the restaurant manager "it's my fault" and offered to pay to repair the damage.
"I was just relieved at that point no-one had got hurt," he said.
So Pistorius' account is contrary to that of Fresco, a boxer also present, and the manager of Tasha's and his wife.
All say Fresco took the blame.
Now onto charge of having illegal ammunition.
He says it was his father's and he had it at his house for "safekeeping".
Now we get onto February 13, and Pistorius is talking through his day.
Says he woke up, Reeva had slept over, but he had to go to Johannesburg for a meeting.
He says he was at his meeting until abut midday, and didn't have plans for the afternoon because he wasn't going to training as he was injured.
Pistorius says after meeting he phoned the agent that was brokering the house purchase.
"From there I went to see my friend Justin Devaris, I was chatting to him for a while."
Pistorius phoned Reeva regarding plans for that evening. Debated whether to meet friends, or go back to his house.
Says he decided he was too tired to stay in Johannesburg, and Reeva offered to cook them dinner.
He arrived home at 6pm and Reeva was preparing dinner.
"I chatted to her for a short time, then I went upstairs, I wanted to get out of the clothes I had been in for the day," he said.
Mr Roux interrupts, asks about the iPad.
This may relate to the evidence that suggets he was on a pornography site at about 6.30pm...
Pistorius says after going upstairs he drew a bath, looked online for a short time and "lay in the bath for a while" before joining Reeva downstairs again.
A pause, and Mr Roux draws his attention to another exhibit - but it's unavailable.
He asks what time the couple ate, and Pistorius says: "We started eating at around 7pm. After dinner we chatted about our day."
Among the conversation was her new agent contract, which he examined and pointed out things that "could be binding in a negative way."
Says they "would have" watched TV for a while ... interesting choice of words. Does he not remember?
Sorry, correction:
He said "Normally we would have watched TV but we'd both had a taxing day so we decided to go upstairs."
He says he helped remove plates from the table and both went upstairs.
Pistorius said he went upstairs at around 8pm as Steenkamp made them a drink.
It was humid - he says he went into his bedroom and opened the balcony doors as airconditioner was broken.
This is pretty crucial evidence, and Judge Masipa urges Pistorius to slow down. She needs to get every word.
He talks about how he moved two fans, putting a steel one mostly on the balcony and a small plastic fan between its legs.
Pistorius explains he put the fans out to draw in cool air - and pulled the blinds and curtains to block out any light and the bugs.
Drew blinds and curtains so no bugs could come in. Quite heavy curtains, block out light he says. Important for his "pitch dark" argument. — Pumza Fihlani (@Pumza_Fihlani) April 8, 2014
Pistorius says: "I took my drink and put it down on the bedside table - walked behind Reeva and I closed the bedroom door and locked it."
Pistorius says he "closed and locked the bedroom door", placing his cricket bat near the door next to sunglasses cabinet.
We've seen pictures of all this.
Pistorius says the lock on door not very strong, the door made of brittle wood.
Explains he has an extremely expensive alarm system, and he activated parts of it from his bedroom.
Pistorius says his legs "needed to air" after having been under his suit all day. He placed them on the floor, close to the window, and lay on his bed.
He says the TV was on, and he was texting his cousin. Reeva was on her phone, on social networking and internet sites for cars, interior decorating etc.
Pistorius says he decided to phone his cousin, rather than keep texting him.
While he chatted to his cousin for about half an hour, Reeva did her yoga stretches.
Reeva went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, calling to him to do the same. He put his prosthetic legs on to do that.
Says he climbed into bed on the left hand side, partly because Reeva was lying in the middle of the bed when he got there but also because he couldn't sleep on the other side because of his shoulder injury.
He said he started to fall asleep, but Reeva was still awake. She was lying on her stomach watching something on TV.
Reeva was showing him pictures of cars, things she liked, asking "Baba what do you think of this" etc.
Pistorius said he was getting very tired, and wanted to go to sleep.
He's now asked about Valentine's Day.
Says earlier in the day, he had bought her a bracelet from a designer she liked in Johannesburg.
Says he had no plans for the 14th: "We both kind of made a thing about not making a thing about Valentines Day."
Plan was to have dinner alone.
Says Reeva had bought him a present, but he wasn't allowed to open it until the next day.
He's battling to stop the tears again now.
Pistorius is gulping for air, voice trembling.
Says Reeva had wrapped the parcel for him, left it in the kitchen with a card to "Ozzy".
Tells the court he did not open it until August 8 - after the shooting - and the gift was four photos of them together, in a frame.
We now take a break, as Mr Roux asks for a five minute adjournment. Speculation about why:
#OscarPistorius sounds like Roux is going to ask OP to remove his legs - after break — Alex Crawford (@AlexCrawfordSky) April 8, 2014
Just to add: Pistorius told the court as he fell asleep, he asked Reeva if he could close the balcony doors and they would go to sleep. But she said she would do it.
That is to explain why he claims he needed to get up in middle of night to close balcony doors - because she hadn't done it.
We resume and Pistorius is back in the witness box, wearing just a white shirt. He is still wearing his prosthesis as Mr Roux asks him to go and stand next to the bathroom door.
He now asks Pistorius to remove his prosthesis, and stand next to the door. He is doing that now.
Does so, and stands next to the door through which he shot and killed her. Trying not to state the obvious, he's considerably shorter.
He returns to the witness box and we now get right down into it.
He's asked what he next remembers.
Extremelky powerful moments here in court. Pistorius is trying to speak but finding it difficult through tears.
Says he woke up in early hours of 14th February, and found it to be extremely warm in room. He sat up in bed and noticed fans still running and door open.
Reeva was still awake, or not asleep. She rolled over and said "can't u sleep my baba?"
Pistorius says he walked around bed, holding onto bed, and went to close the curtains and bring the fans in.
Says the fans were still running at the time, then closed the doors, locked, drew curtains.
Then says he heard a noise in the bathroom.
"That's the moment that everything changed. I thought there was a burglar in my home."
He can barely speak, and is barely audible.
Says he "heard the window hit the frame".
Looking down, he wipes his nose and cries: "Initially I just froze."
"I thought somebody was coming into the bathroom... There's no barrier between me and the bathroom. It's one room."
#OscarTrial Oscar: the first thing that ran through my mind was that I needed to arm myself, protect Reeva and I, get my gun. BB — Barry Bateman (@barrybateman) April 8, 2014
Pistorius says he got gun and ran down passage, was fearful someone was about to come out, "I moved as quick as I could."
Pistorius: "At that point, I wanted to put myself between the person that had gained access to my house and Reeva."
"I remember slowing down... with my firearm extended in front of me."
He wanted Reeva to get down, and phone the police.
He said at that point he was completely consumed by fear, and began "screaming and shouting" for the person to get out of my house.
Having sat impassively through most of his evidence so far, he is now using his right hand to express himself.
"I made my way down the passage constantly aware that this person or people could come at me at any time."
Says just before he got to the wall at the end of the passage, where the bathroom starts, he stopped screaming.
He did not want the intruder to know exactly where he was.
As he made his way slowly down passage, without his legs on, he says "I heard a door slam, it could only be toilet door".
That confirmed to me there was someone in the house.
As the computer operator finds crime scene pix of the bathroom, images of Steenkamp's bloodied face and head flash up momentarily on court screens.
Pistorius bows head and shields eyes, once more retching.
He is wearing sportswear, a bucket is brought in for him.
This is almost beyond belief.
With that, the lunch break is called. A lawyer hands him a coat and he is taken from the court.
Oscar Pistorius, the Blade Runner, is back in the dock and is wearing his dark suit and tie again. We will resume shortly. He stares straight ahead, in direction of where Judge Masipa will be sitting.
It's been an emotion-charged first session, we resume for an hour more testimony. Unlikely Mr Roux will complete his examination-in-chief.
Cross-examination will begin tomorrow, one would think.
Team Pistorius has filed back into court, sister Aimee looking particularly red-eyed today. The sight of her brother standing in the middle of his urder trial without his prosthetic legs must have been an emotional moment.
Pistorius is prompted to resume as he was "going down the passage".
"I got to the entrance of the bathroom ... At that point as I was entering the bathroom I was not shouting or screaming, at the point I thought the intruder or intruders were going to come out of the bathroom."
Judge Masipa coolly tells Pistorius to speak up. He is speaking in a monotone.
Pistorius says with his pistol in his right hand, he made his way down the passage.
Says without his prosthetic legs on, he finds it easier to walk on carpet not on the bathroom tiles.
Nonetheless, he went further into the bathroom, edging towards the corner.
"There was no lights in the bathroom."
"I was pretty much with my back against the wall ... slowly shuffling along the lefthand side wall."
Says he didn't know whether the intruder or intruders were in the toilet, or still on a ladder he says workman had left outside.
Court has previously seen a photograph of a ladder, left outside.
Says as he came around the corner, and saw there was nobody in the bathroom. However, he saw the toilet door was shut.
He said he "retreated a bit" and resumed shouting, yelling "at Reeva to phone the police."
He is practically sobbing now.
"I wasn't sure if someone was going to come up the ladder and start shooting at me.
"Then I heard a noise from inside the toilet, that I percevied to be someone coming out of the toilet, so I fired four shots at the door."
"I couldn't hear anything so shouted for Reeva to phone the police."
Pistorius is crying, looking toward thejudge as he speaks.
He says he then walked back to bedroom, with his hands on cupboards and pistol still raised. Ears were ringing from bullets.
"Nobody responded to me. I lifted myslef up onto the bed and placed my hand back to the righthand side to the bed, and felt if Reeva was there, and I couldn't feel anything.
"First I thought maybe she has gone out into the hall ... maybe she's just scared. So I said, I can't remember what I said ... I had kept my firearm at the passage, didn't want to take my eyes (away from there).
He says he ran his hands along the curtains to see she wasn't hiding behind them.
"I couldn't see much in the room but I could see where the passage was... I made my way back up the passage way, I had mixed emotions. I didn't want to believe it was Reeva in the toilet."
"I didn't want to believe it could be Reeva who could be in the toilet," he says, adding he was still scared an intruder was in the house.
He checked on the toilet, and realised it was locked.
He ran back to balcony and shouted "help! help! help!"
Mr Roux asks if he was calling out at this stage.
"I was screaming and shouting the whole time, I don't think I've ever screamed like that, cried out like that. I was screaming, I was crying out for Reeva."
Pistorius' voice is choked, and he's crying openly now. His voice is high-pitched with the emotion.
He says he didn't know what to do.
He put his firearm down in the bathroom, and got the cricket bat.
"I just wanted to see inside if it was Reeva."
He pauses again, head down, and crying.
Pistorius swung at the door with his signed cricket bat.
"At that point all I wanted to do was open the door, see the person inside."
Pistorius is speaking quickly, as he gets to the moment he realises he has shot his girlfriend.
He now loses composure completely, sits in the dock howling, sobbing. He can't compose himself, and he howls.
Judge Masipa stands and walks off the bench, the court adjourns.
His sister Aimee has rushed to his side, as does his brother Carl.
Unbelievable scenes. The court is still stony-silent, as Pistorius is ushered out of the court by his siblings, a lawyer and a psychologist.
Reeva Steenkamp's mother remains unmoved - stares stonily ahead. She has stayed in the court room.
Unsure whether we will return for more evidence today.
It seems Pistorius broke down as he uttered the words "She wasn't breathing."
Loud, primal moans, sobbing and crying echoed around the court. Hard to describe really.
His family, seated two rows in front of me, were audible in their sobbing too.
Both Pistorius' barrister Barry Roux and chief prosecutor, Gerrie Nel have gone to see Judge Masipa in chambers.
Maybe they will discuss course of trial, or perhaps Pistorius' mental state?
We resume, but Mr Roux says he "cannot resposibly ask the court to continue" with his evidence. There are clearly concerns over the athlete's mental state. Judge Masipa adjourns until 9.30am tomorrow, with agreement from prosecutor Gerrie Nel.
Pistorius' face is bright red, and he looks unwell.
Mr Roux said his client was "soaking wet" - with sweat, presumably - and it would be unfair to continue.
He has been ushered out a side door again. He will likely be comforted for a short time, but whether court staff will allow him to be taken out a side door, away from the cameras, is another question.
Aimee and Carl Pistorius talk to legal team. Clearly there are ongoing concerns for his mental health.
Arnold Pistorius, Oscar's uncle, is talking to reporters. Strange feeling in the court.
Either way, it's the second day in a row we've adjourned early due to Pistorius' mental state.
Mr Roux hugs Aimee Pistorius, who looks very distraught. Family gather together, waiting for right moment to leave.
Pistorius half-emerges from the side room, behind his two cousins who act as bodyguards.
Then they go back behind teh door again. It's possible arrangements are being made to take him out a side door.
Pistorius has not reappeared in court, seems he has left the building by a side door.
His family filed out ashen-faced, Mrs Steenkamp left via an alternate exit also.
Regardless of your view about his guilt or innocence, he is clearly a man in great distress. The gutteral moaning and sobbing was not something I have ever seen in a courtroom before.
To recap, his final words before his apparent total breakdown were: "She wasn't breathing."
And then: "I sat over Reeva and I cried. I don't know how long I was there for."
Apologies: Pistorius was not taken out a side door away from the cameras, he just left the courtroom itself via a side door.
Oscar leaving court after an emotional day. #Pistorius pic.twitter.com/KpS0ICXTm1 — lucy thornton (@lucethornton) April 8, 2014
With a fragile Oscar Pistorius on his way home, the rest of the court packs up too.
Until tomorrow, when Pistorius' evidence will continue.
He still has some way to go with his evidence-in-chief, but then faces the possibility of days under cross-examination by prosecutor Gerrie Nel. A formidable opponent, South African court-watchers say, so he will need his strength for that too.
