Oscar Pistorius reacts at the Pretoria High Court on September 11, 2014, in Pretoria, South Africa after Judge Thokosile Masipa has ruled out murder charges. (Photo : Getty Images/ Kim Ludbrook)
Oscar Pistorious' trial at the Pretoria High Court on June 14, Tuesday, was emotional when Reeva Steenkamp's father, Barry Steenkamp revealed how devastated he is over his daughter's murder. He claimed that he and his wife, June have forgiven his daughter's killer, but claimed that Pistorius must pay for the crime.
Pistorius' sentencing hearing is expected to last until June 17, Friday, when the jurors will decide whether he will serve 15 years in prison for murder. He earlier faced manslaughter conviction for the 2013 killing of his girlfriend Steenkamp, which was overturned in December.
Mr. Steenkamp broke down in tears at the hearing and revealed how devastated he is over his daughter's killing. He shared that the loss of his daughter took a toll on him that he had a stroke and punctured himself by his diabetes needles to imitate the pain that was felt by his youngest daughter.
"Every day of my life, morning, noon, night; I think about her all the time," Sky Sports quoted Mr. Steenkamp as saying in court. He went to add that his wife, a Christian, already forgave Pistorius for the crime. "But you must understand that forgiving like that does not exonerate you from the crime you committed. Pistorius must understand he must still pay for that."
Mr. Steenkamp skipped several hearings in the past due to his health issues. He is now suffering from heart problems, but stated in court that he is now obliged to speak to help attain the justice that his daughter deserves.
Aside from the emotional and physical strains, Mr. Steenkamp revealed that the loss of his daughter made them financially drained. It was exactly the reason why he accepted $425 monthly payments from Pistorius. The disgraced athlete's lawyers later divulged the money arrangement in court.
In other news, it was revealed that a psychologist found that the disgraced Paralympian was broken and should not be sentenced. Pistorius is reportedly under treatment for depression, anxiety and insomnia.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told in court that Pistorius only feels sorry for himself, but does not regret the crime. Nel disputed the psychologist's report claiming he was biased towards Pistorius, Mirror reported.
The South African Olympic athlete, also known as the blade runner, was sentenced to five years for manslaughter. He shot Steenkamp five times while she was locked in the toilet. Pistorius maintained his claim that he had mistaken her for an intruder.
Check out Mr. Steenkamp's emotional statement during Pistorius' trial:
