‘Why I took the door’ – Oscar cop
He removed the bathroom door through which Oscar Pistorius had shot Reeva Steenkamp after hearing that the press had offered up to R60 000 for a photo of the door, a former police colonel today told the High Court.
FILE PICTURE: State prosecutor Gerrie Nel (L) questions forensic expert Colonel Johannes Vermeulen during the Oscar Pistorius murder trial at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, Thursday, 13 March 2014. The Paralympian pleaded not guilty to murder, although he admits killing Reeva Steenkamp by shooting her through a locked bathroom door. He mistook her for a burglar in his house, saying he made a tragic but understandable mistake. The murder trial has been compared to that of the OJ Simpson case in the United States 20 years ago. Picture: Alet Pretorius/Media24/Poo
Col Schoombie van Rensburg testified that he had had kept this vital piece of evidence, sealed in a body bag, on the floor in front of the desk in his office for over a week after it was removed from Pistorius’ home.
Pistorius is on trial for the alleged Valentine’s Day murder of his girlfriend.
Van Rensburg insisted no-one except him had access to the door in that period as he had kept his door locked.
He said the bag was unsealed for the first time in the presence of a ballistics expert employed by the defence team.
He admitted that one of Pistorius’ expensive watches had been stolen from the crime scene right under his nose.
Van Rensburg said he was “furious” when he realised the watch had been stolen and had every police member at the scene body searched and their bags searched, but could not trace it.
A theft docket was opened and the case was still under investigation.
Van Rensburg said only he, Warrant Officer Hilton Botha and a police photographer had been allowed on the first floor of Pistorius’ house and the actual crime scene in the main bedroom and bathroom..
He found Steenkamp’s body covered with black plastic bags and towels at the foot of the stairs when he arrived at the scene, but then followed the trial of blood upstairs to the bloody scene in the main bathroom.
Photos of the scene and Steenkamp’s body taken at the scene brought home just how much violence had been involved.
Van Rensburg went to great lengths to explain how the scene had been protected but was forced to admit that a police ballistics expert had handled the pistol used to shoot Steenkamp without gloves at the scene.
Van Rensburg admitted that Pistorius was so emotional when he arrived at the scene that he could not answer when asked what had happened.
