|  Wys³any: 2019-03-01 04:40:38 Temat postu: and the impact her Valentines Day killing
PRETORIA, South Africa - Reeva Steenkamps cousin sobbed while testifying Wednesday how she first heard on a car radio that Oscar Pistorius had killed his girlfriend.Kim Martin said she had hoped to God that Pistorius was cheating on her cousin and that the young woman he had shot at his home was not Reeva.They hadnt confirmed the name, they said his girlfriend, Martin recalled of the early-morning news broadcast. I was trying to phone her (Reeva) and she wasnt answering and I was screaming at my husband.Martin, who said she was close to Steenkamp, went to her mothers house where she learned her cousin had been killed by the Olympic athlete.The doors opened and my mother was hysterical and thats when I knew it was true, Martin said. That was for me the end of the world. Everything was just a blur from then onwards.The emotional testimony during Pistorius sentencing hearing caused the judge to rule a brief adjournment when Martin began crying. Her testimony dealt in detail for the first time at the months-long trial with the life of Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, and the impact her Valentines Day killing had on her family.We were all, why, why, why Reeva? Martin said. She said Steenkamps killing ruined our whole family.Steenkamp was shot multiple times by Pistorius through a toilet cubicle door in his home in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14, 2013. The runner was found guilty of culpable homicide for negligently killing her, but acquitted of murder after claiming he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder.Martin was the first witness called by prosecutors for sentencing and the first relative of Steenkamp to give testimony in the case. Martin said she wanted to be Reevas voice after Steenkamps parents, Barry and June, decided they were too emotional to testify.As Martin told of the moments she first learned Steenkamp was dead, Pistorius hunched forward in the courtroom and put his hands over his face. Steenkamps parents, who have attended much of the trial, appeared to be crying.Judge Thokozile Masipa will decide Pistorius punishment and has wide latitude. The judge could order the former star athlete to pay a fine and go under house arrest, or she could send him to prison for up to 15 years.Pistorius lawyers have argued for a correctional supervision sentence with periods of house arrest. Social workers testifying for the defence recommended he not be sent to prison, partly because of his disability as a double amputee. Prosecutors reject that and insist that Pistorius, 27, should go to jail, saying his negligent actions on the night he shot Steenkamp with his 9 mm pistol have left a broken family.Steenkamps mother June was on medication after the killing and father Barry sat in a corner of his house crying, Martin testified. Martin said that she is receiving trauma counselling and her children need therapy.Steenkamps parents said in a statement earlier Wednesday that the death of their daughter — who had helped them with money — had left them in financial difficulties and their lawyer resorted to approaching Pistorius for help. The athlete had paid them around $10,000 in monthly instalments between March 2013 and last month, but they now want to pay it back, they said.The Steenkamps also said they turned down a separate settlement offer of $34,000 from Pistorius and would no longer pursue a civil claim after the criminal trial because they didnt want his money.Martin testified that Steenkamps parents were never rich, but father Barry was particularly proud of his daughters law degree and wanted her to concentrate on becoming a lawyer.Martin said: Her dad told her she must work hard because her life can end in a split second.___Imray reported from Stellenbosch, South Africa. 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The 22-year-old rookie was definitely excited about the occasion and the opportunity. Just like last fall when he was the breakout pitching star of the post-season, he fed off the atmosphere. "Huge crowd out there, a lot of energy," Wacha said after the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Monday. "Its a lot of fun pitching in front of your home crowd, 40,000-plus fans. "I dont know who wouldnt thrive off those kind of situations." Wacha outdid Tony Cingrani in a rematch of young power arms, and the Cardinals got a three-run double from Yadier Molina in the first inning. "I didnt have my fastball, so what are you going to do? I just tried to battle," Cingrani said. "One bad pitch and it cleared the bases." A standing-room crowd of 47,492, the largest at 9-year-old Busch Stadium, braved daylong rain to greet the National League champions and take a look at the new Ballpark Village. Hundreds milled about the attached complex, which features five sports bars and rooftop seating. The Cardinals bunched three hits and a walk over the first five hitters to take the early lead against Cingrani (0-1), who allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings against the Cardinals six days earlier in Cincinnati. The Cards went 1 for 18 before adding RBIs from Matt Holliday and Allen Craig off Trevor Bell in a two-run seventh. St. Louis ended a three-game losing streak on opening day, including a blowout loss to the Reds last year. Wacha (1-0) hadnt allowed a run in 21 career innings against the Reds before back-to-back doubles by Brayan Pena and pinch-hitter Roger Bernadina in the fifth cut the Cardinals lead to 3-1. The NL championship series MVP benefited from two double-play balls in six stingy innings and has permitted one run in 13 2-3 innings his first two starts. Wacha threw 82 pitches before getting lifted for a pinch hitter with the Cardinals up by two runs and two on in the sixth. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny wanted to take a shot at putting the Reds away, but thought the right-hander had plenty left. "That was more of a situation of whats best for the day, whats best for that particular game," Matheny said. Cingrani needed 31 pitches to get through the first and lasted four innnings, striking out five but walking four.dddddddddddd Matheny said before the game that his hitters had been a "click off" with timing against the 24-year-old lefty last week and should benefit from another chance so soon. Pena said he wasnt trying to make excuses but thought Cingrani was bothered by the elements. "The baseball was slippery. He couldnt grab his breaking ball the way he wanted," Pena said. Peter Bourjos moved up to second in the order and got his first two hits of the season after an 0-for-13 start. Craig got his third hit and third RBI of the season after entering 2 for 22. Seeing Wacha once again didnt do the Reds any good. Theyve totalled 18 runs in seven games. "Right now, almost collectively, weve struggled to do anything with guys in scoring position," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said. "But thatll change. Its tough to sit through it." The start of the game was delayed 12 minutes after the inclement weather combined with pregame ceremonies that featured the traditional grand entrance with players, coaches and Hall of Famers touring Busch Stadium on the back of convertibles and trucks. A team of Clydesdales was kept in the stable due to concerns the field might be damaged. Billy Hamilton doubled to start the game and the Reds put the leadoff man on base in the first four innings but were undone by two double plays. Zack Cozart broke an 0-for-22 slump to start the season with a bloop RBI single, and pinch-hitter Neftali Soto had a sacrifice fly for his first career RBI in the ninth against St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal, who gave up his first runs at home since Aug. 15 against Pittsburgh. The Cardinals opened the first with singles by Matt Carpenter and Bourjos, and Holliday walked to load the bases with none out. Craig struck out before Molina cleared the bases with a drive to left-centre on a 1-2 pitch. NOTES: Lance Lynn (1-0, 5.40 ERA) opposes Homer Bailey (0-1, 8.31) in the second game of the series, another rematch from the season-opening series in Cincinnati. Lynn allowed three runs in five innings and Bailey gave up four runs in 4 1-3 innings in St. Louis 7-6 win. ... The Reds anticipate activating reliever Jonathan Broxton (forearm) from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. The team held off making the move Monday to give Broxton two days off after pitching on consecutive days. ' ' ' |
and the impact her Valentines Day killing 
