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PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Testimony in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius has become graphic.
The South African court today heard from a pathologist who performed the autopsy on Reeva Steenkamp's body. Referring to photographs that were not shown to the gallery, he described bullet wounds to Steenkamp's head, right arm and right hip area. He also described the exit wounds, saying the bullets Pistorius used are designed to expand on impact and cause maximum tissue damage.
As the pathologist spoke, the double-amputee runner sat hunched over, vomiting and retching repeatedly with his hands covering his head.
Journalists were barred from broadcasting today's proceedings or reporting live because of the explicit content.
Pistorius says he shot Steenkamp by mistake, thinking she was an intruder in his home. Prosecutors say he intentionally killed her after an argument.
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153-a-10-(Gert Saayman (hehrt SY'-muhn), head, forensic medicine department, University of Pretoria, in testimony at Pistorius trial)-"deceased as well"-Gert Saayman of the University of Pretoria, a forensic medicine witness in the Pistorius trial, told the court that live broadcasting and tweeting of his potentially graphic autopsy testimony goes against what he calls the 'good morals of society.' (10 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *153 (03/10/14)££ 00:10 "deceased as well"
154-a-16-(Gert Saayman (hehrt SY'-muhn), head, forensic medicine department, University of Pretoria, in testimony at Pistorius trial)-"could do harm"-Gert Saayman of the University of Pretoria, a forensic medicine witness in the Pistorius trial, told the judge he thinks it would be wrong to allow live broadcast of his autopsy findings as well as graphic details about gunshot injuries. (10 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *154 (03/10/14)££ 00:16 "could do harm"
155-a-16-(Gert Saayman (hehrt SY'-muhn), head, forensic medicine department, University of Pretoria, in testimony at Pistorius trial)-"of the deceased"-Gert Saayman of the University of Pretoria, a forensic medicine witness in the Pistorius trial, told the judge he believes his testimony should not be broadcast live to the world. (10 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *155 (03/10/14)££ 00:16 "of the deceased"
APPHOTO XDF124: Oscar Pistorius covers his head with a handkerchief after he had reached for a bucket at his feet while listening to cross questioning about the events surrounding the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, in his second week in court during his trial in Pretoria, South Africa, Monday, March 10, 2014. Pistorius is charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend Steenkamp, on Valentines Day in 2013. (AP Photo/Siphiwe Sibeko, Pool) (10 Mar 2014)
<<APPHOTO XDF124 (03/10/14)££
APPHOTO XDF123: Oscar Pistorius covers his head with a handkerchief after he had reached for a bucket at his feet while listening to cross questioning about the events surrounding the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, in his second week in court during his trial in Pretoria, South Africa, Monday, March 10, 2014. Pistorius is charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend Steenkamp, on Valentines Day in 2013. (AP Photo/Siphiwe Sibeko, Pool) (10 Mar 2014)
<<APPHOTO XDF123 (03/10/14)££
APPHOTO XDF120: Oscar Pistorius covers his head as he reaches for a bucket on the floor nearby, as he listens to cross questioning about the events surrounding the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, in court during his trial in Pretoria, South Africa, Monday, March 10, 2014. Pistorius vomited in the dock at his murder trial Monday as he heard graphic details in testimony from pathologist Prof. Gert Saaymanof, of the injuries sustained by the girlfriend he fatally shot. Pistorius is charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend Steenkamp, on Valentines Day in 2013. (AP Photo/Siphiwe Sibeko, Pool) (10 Mar 2014)
<<APPHOTO XDF120 (03/10/14)££
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