Oscar Pistorius trial: Court Hears Of Police Incompetence

* Pistorius:AP

A police photograph of Oscar Pistorius standing on his blood-stained prosthetic legs and wearing shorts covered in blood, taken shortly after the athlete fatally shot his girlfriend, is viewed in court. Photo:

Pretoria: A police ballistics expert handled an alleged murder weapon without gloves and a $5000 watch belonging to Oscar Pistorius was stolen from the crime scene in the hours after the athlete shot and killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, his trial has heard.

The extraordinary evidence emerged as the first officer on the scene conceded he also kept a crucial piece of evidence – the toilet door through which Pistorius fired four fatal shots - in his office rather than a police exhibit room.

Former Colonel Schoombie Van Rensberg, who resigned from the South African police force last year amid claims of incompetency over the security of the toilet door, was also accused of giving wide-ranging evidence in an attempt protect his former colleague, Hilton Botha, from another round of damaging cross-examination.

Former Boschkop Police Station Commander, Colonel Schoombie van Rensburg gives evidence during the murder trial of Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius. Photo: Reuters

Botha, the original chief investigator in the Pistorius case, was heavily criticised for bungling the investigation during the double amputee’s bail application last year and subsequently resigned from the force.

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On Friday morning, van Rensburg told the court nobody had access to the first floor other than police investigators.

He had earlier noticed eight watches inside a blood-stained box near the main bedroom door, raising concerns they were expensive and could potentially go missing.

In the ensuing hours, he noticed one watch was missing and was told Pistorius’ sister Aimee, who had arrived to collect some clothes for her brother, had requested it.

Van Rensburg urged warrant officer Bennie van Staden, to keep an eye on them, knowing one was worth more than 50,000 South African rand – more than AUD$5,000.

When packing up to leave the scene many hours later, the junior officer van Staden approached van Rensburg to say another had gone missing.

The senior officer said he was “furious”, and ordered all personnel be searched, all bags examined and the entire house swept for the item.

Van Rensburg personally opened a case docket on the theft, and referred it to the provincial commissioner’s office.

The watch has still not been found.

The new chief investigator, Captain Mike van Aardt, later ensured the remainder of the watches were returned to Pistorius after forensics was complete.

In other evidence, van Rensburg said he was one of the people in charge of accessing control to the scene, ensuring each person entering an exiting the Silver Woods estate home was documented.

But he also told the court how the integrity of the scene had been compromised.

A ballistics expert had handled Pistorus’ 9mm gun found in the bathroom without gloves, he said.

“I said what are you doing, and he looked at me and he [realised what he had done],” van Rensburg said.

The officer said ‘sorry’ before placing the weapon back down and donning gloves.

Van Rensburg said he was very angry about the incident.

In other evidence, he also revealed media outlets had offered upwards of R60,000 (AUD $6,000) for photos of the crime scene, including the toilet cubicle door.

Police later re-entered the crime scene to secure the door and transfer it into police custody, van Rensburg arranging a large body-bag to transport it.

He admitted that as the station commander, he signed for the door and it was kept in his office but was adamant there was nothing wrong with this approach.

“I was the only person in control of that office, no meeting was held during that period … if someone came to see me I closed the door and locked the door and went to another office,” he said.

If someone needed to use the fax machine in his office, he sent the documents for them.

“Nobody tampered with the evidence,” he said, adding it was kept there until February 28.

On the 10th day of the trial, the court also showed a photograph taken of Pistorius shortly after the shooting.

He was bare-chested, but was wearing blood-stained knee-length grey shorts. Blood also splattered his prosthetic legs.

Van Rensburg said only the estate manager and his daughter, and Pistorius’ brother Carl who arrived later, had access to him at the time.

A family lawyer, Kenny Oldwage, also attended the scene.

Pistorius’ barrister Barry Roux began his cross-examination claiming van Rensburg had colluded with Mr Botha and gave evidence designed to protect him.

He also said the officer of 30 years experience knew that “affluent” areas with security-controlled estates did not stop crime.

“No, my lady, it doesn’t,” he replied with a wry smile.

He agreed Pistorius was overcome with emotion when he first spoke with him at the scene of Steenkamp's death.

“He was crying and you could see he was upset … not upset in a furious way, but in an emotional way,” he said.

The case in the Pretoria High Court will resume next week, with all questioning of van Rensburg concluded before 3pm on Friday.

With a grin, Mr Roux had slyly goaded the officer just before the adjournment, saying he was just going to "think of some more questions" to make best use of the court's time - before saying he was only kidding.

The state's 14th witness will be called on Monday morning.