Oscar Pistorius Trial & Verdict: Innocent or Guilty? [Poll]

As closing arguments in the murder trial of celebrated Paralympian, Oscar Pistorius, continues, many who have been following the South African athlete's case are still wondering if Pistorious did plan to kill his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentines's Day last year. 

On Thursday, the Washington Post said the prosecution has presented their closing arguments at the Pretoria High Court, wherein judge, Thokozile Masipa, will decide whether Pistorius is guilty of fatally shooting his girlfriend. There is no jury system in South Africa, and the verdict lies on the decision of Masipa, with the help of her two legal assessors.

BBC said Steenkamp's family has a champion lawyer in Gerrie Nel, who has been described as a "pitbull," thanks to his ruthless but effective cross-examinations of witnesses and defendants. This would be good news not only to the plaintiffs, but for those who chose to side with the argument that Pistorius did indeed kill his girlfriend out of rage following an intense fight. Nel's presence throughout the trial means that the prosecution has not left any stone unturned, challenging every evidence and questioning every witness the defense, led by Barry Roux, has presented in the trial.

But Andrew Harding, who reported for BBC in Africa, noticed that Nel was unusually flowery with his words, and was caught spending so much time reading from his written arguments. Nonetheless, Harding said Nel argued in court all of Pistorius' positions in the death of his girlfriend, directing some of his strongest arguments to a listening Masipa. The best argument so far, said Harding, was the four closely grouped shots found on Pistorius' toilet door, where Steenkamp was said to be cowering in fear and found dead after the shots were delivered by her boyfriend. Nel reasoned that it was impossible for someone to have accidentally killed a girlfriend or an intruder in such a confined space.

On the other side, Roux tries to discredit the prosecution's arguments, particularly those of the neighbors who have heard Steenkamp supposedly screaming before the gunshots were fired, Mirror said. Roux also reasoned in court that his client's aggressive reaction towards perceived intruders was a result of a "slow burn" anxiety caused by his disability. It is to note that Pistorius is known in the sporting world as the "Blade Runner" thanks to his J-shape prosthetic running legs.

Roux said in court, as quoted by the Mirror, "You're a little boy without legs, you experience daily that you cannot run away. 'I don't have a flight response'. Over time you get an exaggerated fight response. That's why you don't go. That's the slow burn. That constant reminder, 'I do not have legs, I cannot run away, I am not the same'. The moment you're confronted with danger, or perceived danger, it comes to the fore. You are compromised because of the slow burn, because of the anxiety, because of your real position."

The New York Times observed that Masipa, who is known for her stiff sentences with cases that involved violence against women, did not exhibit signs of impartiality throughout the hearing. But if there's one thing that Masipa is known for, it would be her fairness, here colleagues have said.

What do you think? Is Pistorius guilty of murdering his girlfriend? Share your thoughts!