PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — The chief prosecutor in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius has challenged the credibility of a physician who testified that the athlete has an anxious nature linked to his disability.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said Monday that the defense witness, physician Wayne Derman, could not be objective about the double-amputee runner because he had treated Pistorius over many years and traveled with him extensively. Derman disputed Nel's assertion.
The defense says Pistorius has a deep sense of vulnerability because of his disability and a fear of crime, and it was a factor in what he has described the mistaken shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius says he killed Steenkamp after thinking there was a dangerous intruder in his home. The prosecution says he shot her after an argument.