It is one of the most contentious parts of Oscar Pistorius’ version of events: why did the Olympian not ask Reeva Steenkamp about the noise in the bathroom before going towards it and opening fire?
Pistorius has told his murder trial he heard a noise in his bathroom in the early hours of Valentine’s Day morning. He said he “froze” for a short time, before grabbing his gun from under his bed and heading towards his bathroom, fearful he and Ms Steenkamp were about to be attacked by intruders.
But prosecutor Gerrie Nel on Friday questioned Pistorius about this version, saying it sounded extremely unlikely, especially as he has told the court Ms Steenkamp was awake at the time.
“Did you not say, ‘Reeva did you hear that?' She was awake. That would have been a reasonable thing to do,” Mr Nel said.
“No,” the athlete replied. “There was no doubt in my mind about what I heard.”
He has previously told the court he “whispered” to Ms Steenkamp to “get down and call the police”, but on Friday he changed that, instead testifying he spoke the words “in a soft manner”.
Presuming that was true, Mr Nel asked why he didn’t then ensure he got a response.
“I didn't wait for a response, there was no response ... my whole person was fixated on the person in the bathroom,” he said, adding he was already turned towards the passage.
Mr Nel countered that the court has previously heard from his ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor that he woke in the night and asked her about a noise.
Pistorius said that had happened once, and the noise had been downstairs.
It was another emotional day for Pistorius as the cross-examination ground on, with him being repeatedly tested about a variety of events surrounding the fatal shooting and other related incidents.
During the morning session, Pistorius broke down as he was repeatedly questioned about his movements that morning and the positioning of items in the room.
Mr Nel asked: Are you getting emotional? Why? Why now?
Pistorius: Because I lost the person I cared about that night, I don't know how people don't understand that.
The court was adjourned to allow him to compose himself.
In other evidence, he was asked a number of questions about his intense fear and paranoia of crime.
He had told the court he has been a victim in the past, although admits never having made a complaint to police about any of them.
Under specific questioning from Mr Nel, he said he wasn’t so afraid that he parked his car in the garage, rather leaving it outside, and that there was a broken window in the downstairs of his flat.
He also suspected his expensive alarm system was not working properly, because contractors may have removed the external sensors as they painted his house.
“You are tailoring your evidence as you are standing there, because you are confronted with a contradiction,” Mr Nel submitted.
Pistorius denied the suggestion.
The international track star sat in the witness box for five days last week, three of those under intense cross-examination from the prosecutor who alleges his version of events is “so improbable that nobody will ever think it’s reasonably possible.”
Mr Nel questioned Pistorius about at least six different topics in the first 90 minutes of Friday’s evidence.
Pistorius has repeatedly said his “life is on the line” but the prosecutor’s focus has been on his credibility, accusing him of lying, tailoring his evidence and blame-shifting, and refusing to accept responsibility for his actions.
The athlete’s evidence continued on Friday afternoon.
