1.51pm BST

With the hearing over for the day, it's time for a closing summary. This will be very similar to the lunchtime summary, as we only had about 45 minutes of evidence in the afternoon:



• Oscar Pistorius has taken to the witness stand to begin giving evidence in his murder trial. He began with a tearful, broken-voiced apology to the family and friends of Reeva Steenkamp, his girlfriend who he shot in February last year, believing – he says – she was an intruder.

• Pistorius said there is "not a moment" when he does not think about her family, and prays for them daily. He added: "I've tried to put my words on paper many times to write to you but no words would ever suffice"

• Pistorius said he had taken anti-depressants and sleeping pills since the shooting, often waking with "terrible nightmares" in which he dreamed he could smell blood. He said he often calls his sister to sit with him during the night. On one occasion he climbed into a cupboard to call her.

• He said his religious faith was the only thing to sustain him over the past year: "There have been times when I've just been struggling a lot. My God is a God of refuge."

• Pistorius spoke at length about his fear about, and experience of, crime. He said his his mother was worried about intruders and kept a pistol under her pillow

• Pistorius said a speedboat accident in 2009 which almost killed him left him fearful and withdrawn.

• Earlier, the first defence witness was a pathologist, Prof Jan Botha, who questioned prosecution evidence that Steenkamp must have eaten about two hours before her death at 3am, something which runs counter to Pistorius's statement that they went to bed at 10pm.

• Botha was questioned aggressively and at length by the prosecution counsel, Gerrie Nel, giving a taste of the likely cross-examination Pistorius will face.



• While this evidence was heard, including details of Steenkamp's injuries and photos of wounds and blood, Pistorius spent much of the time with his hands over his face, also retching.