Live Updates: The Oscar Pistorius murder trial

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The case so far

Double-amputee Olympian Oscar Pistorius, on trial for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was aware of South African firearms and self-defence laws that say you cannot shoot at an intruder unless your life is in danger, a court heard on Monday.

Testifying on day 11 of the trial, firearms instructor Sean Rens read out a gun licence test passed by the track athlete, who shot dead Steenkamp through a locked toilet door at his Pretoria home on Valentine’s Day last year.

One of the questions asked whether a home-owner was allowed to open fire on burglars on the other side of a security gate.

Pistorius answered: “No”, Rens, who taught Pistorius gun safety and sold him weapons, told the court. Asked in the test about the legal basis for using lethal force, Pistorius answered: “The attack must be against you, a person and be unlawful.” In answer to another scenario, Pistorius replied: “No, life is not in danger.” Pistorius also made clear that a gun-owner should never shoot unless he was knew what he was shooting at, and what lay behind the target: “Know your target and what lies beyond,” Rens said, quoting Pistorius’ answer. The Paralympic gold medallist, known as the “Blade Runner” on account of his carbon-fibre prostheses, denies the murder charge, saying he shot Steenkamp in a tragic accident after mistaking her, through the door, for a night-time intruder.

Read the full report HERE