A wrap of all the court proceedings of day 2 on one page

Summary of court proceedings of day 2 - Tymon Smith

It was a fairly uneventful and somewhat anti-climatic final session on the second day of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial.

Following a lengthy and sometimes heated cross-examination of the state's first witness Michelle Burger, Pistorius's advocate Barry Roux was short and fairly easygoing on second state witness Estelle van der Merwe.

Van der Merwe testified that she was awoken in the early hours of the morning of February 14 2013 by the sounds of a voice in what appeared to be an argument with another person, whose voice she couldn’t hear.

She told Roux that she could not remember much from that time as it was a long time ago. Van der Merwe lives in Silver Woods Estate, across the road from Pistorius's house. Her balcony faces the front of his house, which is 98m away.

She testified that she had also been woken by voices in the early hours of February this year but this was revealed to be the result of a test the defence team had run to establish how voices might travel ahead of the trial.

Van der Merwe was followed on the stand by Burger's husband, Charl Johnston, who repeated the sequence of events given in his wife's evidence, but differed on the number of shots he had heard, thinking there were five to six shots fired, while his wife said she had heard four.

Johnson also maintained that, like his wife, he had heard a woman's screams during the shots, which faded away shortly afterwards.

Johnson, a soft-spoken man who asked that his testimony not be filmed, was constantly asked by the judge and the defence to speak louder.

His testimony will continue tomorrow, to be followed by cross-examination by Roux.

As Pistorius left the court, there were similar scenes of media madness as photographers tussled with bodyguards and Pistorius's car was followed by hoards of screaming people and members of the press.

ON THE SIDE: Outrage at Irish bookie's money-back offer on Pistorius

Almost 100,000 people had signed a petition on Tuesday against an "offensive" advert by Irish bookmaker Paddy Power offering to refund bets made on a guilty verdict in the Oscar Pistorius trial if he walks free.

The ad shows an Oscar statuette with the face of the South African Paralympic athlete and the words: "It's Oscar Time. Money Back If He Walks. We will refund all losing bets on the Oscar Pistorius trial if he is found not guilty."

No stranger to publicity stunts, Paddy Power timed the ad to coincide with Sunday's Academy Awards and the start of Pistorius' murder trial in Pretoria on Monday. He is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day last year.

Campaigners against domestic violence have condemned the ad, which appeared in the Irish and British press, and more than 97,000 people have signed an online petition demanding the bookmaker take no further bets on the trial.

The petition on change.org says: "The brutal death of a woman at the hands of her partner is not 'sport' or 'entertainment' and promoting the opportunity to make money from it is a vile and offensive act which anyone with a sense of human dignity and respect for human life must reject."

A spokesman for the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), Britain's advertising watchdog, told AFP it had received 46 complaints about the advert.

"We are currently assessing the complaints to establish whether there are grounds for investigation," he said.

Paddy Power did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the controversy.

In a blog posted when the ad was published, the firm said: "If you bet on Pistorius being jailed (7/4) and he is sent down, you've seen justice done.

"Bet on him going down but he walks free, then you get your money back amidst what's sure to be an international howl of news about 'injustice'."

Third witness takes stand

Charl Johnson Burger, husband of the first witness to testify in Oscar Pistorius's murder trial, took the stand in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.

He and his wife Michelle live in the Silver Stream Estate in Pretoria --next to Silver Woods where Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last year.

The soft-spoken IT project manager wore a suit and tie and took a good swig of bottled water before prosecutor Gerrie Nel launched into questioning.

His wife has already testified that she heard anxious cries, four shots and a scream in the early hours of February 14 last year, when Steenkamp was shot dead.

Pistorius has pleaded not guilty, saying he thought there was an intruder in the home when he accidentally shot Steenkamp through the door of a toilet cubicle.

Johnson's testimony was not televised, and the court ordered that no photographs of him may be published.

Second witness steps down

Oscar Pistorius's lawyer on Tuesday promptly completed the cross-examination of the second witness in the trial in the High Court in Pretoria.

Estelle van der Merwe, who lives at the same Silver Woods Country Estate as Pistorius, said she heard what sounded like arguments coming from one of her neighbours.

She did not immediately associate the shooting with argument.

"I didn't know where the shots came from," said Van der Merwe.

She said that after the shots, her husband went to investigate through the window and they heard the voice of someone crying.

"My husband said it was Oscar that was crying," said Van der Merwe.

She said she could not recall all the occurrences of that evening.

"This incident happened over a year ago so I can't recall everything," said Van der Merwe.

Pistorius is on trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, after shooting her dead through a locked bathroom door at his home.

He said he had mistaken her for an intruder.

The third witness, Charl Johnson, then took the stand.

His wife, Michelle Burger, was the first witness.

Second state witness tells of fight

A second State witness in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius on Tuesday told the court she heard loud voices from his home the night he shot dead Reeva Steenkamp.

Like the State's first witness, Estelle van der Merwe lived close to Pistorius and her testimony also appeared to contradict the athlete's statement that it was "unfair and incorrect" to suggest that he had a row with his girlfriend before she died.

Taking the stand just before lunch on day two of the sensational trial, Van der Merwe told the High Court in Pretoria she was kept from sleep around 2am by what sounded like people fighting.

"It lasted for about an hour," said Van der Merwe said, testifying in Afrikaans through a translator.

Van der Merwe lives in the Silver Wood Country Estate, the same complex where Pistorius shot Steenkamp through a locked toilet door on February 14 -- according to his defence because he mistook her for an intruder.

She lived about three houses away from the one where Steenkamp was shot.

Earlier, the first witness, Michelle Burger, was grilled for a second day by Pistorius's lawyer, Barry Roux, who tried to cast doubt on her credibility and find contradictions between her written statement to the police and her testimony on the stand.

Burger testified that she heard a woman's piercing cries for help, followed by a man calling for help, before four gunshots rang out.

Like he did on Monday, Roux contended that Pistorius's voice rose when he was anxious and that hence he sounded like a woman when he screamed.

He put it to Burger that she only heard one person -- the accused -- cry out before the shooting, but that she was too biased against him to make the slightest concession.

But Burger, an economics lecturer, firmly stuck to her version of events,

"My statement is a few pages long. I've been testifying for hours and I can explain the minute details to the court," she said.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel at one point objected to Roux's relentless questioning, saying he was badgering Burger.

Shortly afterwards, Roux told the court Steenkamp would have been too severely injured to scream on the fateful morning of February 14 last year.

"There was serious, serious, brain damage," said Roux.

"It could not have been. She could not have screamed."

At this, Pistorius broke down for the first time since pleading not guilty to premeditated murder on Monday. He held his head in his hands and cried, and A woman sitting with his family in the public gallery handed him a tissue.

Burger broke down too later, when Nel resumed questioning and asked her how she felt last February when she made her statement to police after the shooting.

"What were your emotions at the time of making the statement?" he asked.

"Raw emotion," she replied, her voice breaking as she began to cry, reaching for her purse to get a tissue.

She said that for a while after the shooting she had relived Reeva Steenkamp's screams whenever she took a shower.

Shortly before, Nel had asked her if it would have been possible for a cricket bat to make rapid bangs in succession when striking a door.

Burger said no. Pistorius broke down the door of his toilet with a cricket bat after he shot Steenkamp through it.

Roux had suggested Burger confused the sound of the cricket bat striking the door with shots.

He cross-examined the second witness when the trial resumed on Tuesday afternoon.

Court resumes with no Oscar

He arrived two minutes later, carrying his briefcase. He stood, bowed and said: "Sorry."

Oscar Pistorius's murder trial resumed after the lunch break on Tuesday but he was not in court immediately.

His lawyer Barry Roux apologised and said: "Sometimes it is blocked by the media", with reference to court entrances.

He arrived two minutes later, carrying his briefcase. He stood, bowed and said: "Sorry."

Judge Thokozile Masipa said: "It's fine, take a seat."

Testimony continued from Estelle van der Merwe, a neighbour at Silver Woods Estate in Pretoria where Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead on February 14 2013.

He has pleaded not guilty to muder.

13:31pm: Summary of court proceedings thus far - Tymon Smith

Oscar Pistorius leant forward with his head in his hands and shed tears while parts of the ballistic evidence were read out during the cross-examination of his neighbour Michelle Burger.

Pistorius's advocate Barry Roux was arguing that the damage inflicted by gunshots to his dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp would have caused brain damage, making it impossible for her to have cried out after the shots, as Burger had testified.

Roux put it to Burger that she was the kind of witness who was unwilling to make concessions because they might help his client.

During follow-up questioning from state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, Burger broke down in tears as she recalled the effect that hearing a woman's screams on the night of February 14 2013 had on her.

An emotional Burger was thanked for her assistance before being excused by Judge Thokozile Masipa.

Nel continues with evidence from Estelle van der Merwe, who lives across the road from Pistorius in the Silver Woods Country Estate, and who testified that she heard the sound of an argument in the early hours of the morning Steenkamp was shot.

Second Oscar witness heard loud voices

Loud voices were heard the night Oscar Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend in his Pretoria home, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Tuesday.

Estelle van der Merwe, the second witness to take to the stand in the murder trial of Pistorius, said it sounded like people fighting.

"It lasted for about an hour," said Van der Merwe.

The black-haired woman with blonde highlights in her hair testified in Afrikaans. An interpreter translated her testimony into English.

Van der Merwe lives in the Silver Wood Country Estate, the same complex where Pistorius shot dead Reeva Steenkamp on February 14 last year.

She told the court: "I was irritated by the noise because I wanted to sleep and my son was going to write an exam."

Van der Merwe said she put a pillow over her head, trying to block out the noise. She later heard four shots.

After struggling to explain how the shots sounded, Van der Merwe said they sounded like "bang, bang, bang... That's the best I can do," she said.

"The shots were one after the other. After the shots, there was total silence."

After breaking down earlier as the injuries Steenkamp suffered were told to the court, Pistorius seemed to have recovered.

He was again taking notes and listening attentively to the witness.

The State will try to prove that Pistorius committed premeditated murder when he shot and killed Steenkamp through a bathroom door.

In addition, he is charged with premeditated murder and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Pistorius's lawyers will argue that he mistook her for an intruder when he shot her through the bathroom door.

Witness cries during testimony- Sapa

A witness who heard shouting and gunshots from Oscar Pistorius's home began crying in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.

This happened when prosecutor Gerrie Nel asked Michelle Burger about her state of mind when she gave her statement to police.

"What were your emotions at the time of making the statement?" he asked.

"Raw emotion," she replied, her voice breaking as she began to cry, reaching for her purse to get a tissue.

She was questioned about a statement she made to Captain Mike van Aardt about the events on the morning of February 14 last year.

She said she relived Reeva Steenkamp's screams while in the shower.

Shortly before this, Nel asked her if it would have been possible for a cricket bat to make rapid bangs in succession when striking a door.

Burger said no as one would have to swing the bat, which would cause a delay between the bangs.

Pistorius broke down the door of his toilet with a cricket bat after he shot Steenkamp through it.

Burger has testified that she heard four bangs coming from Pistorius's home, 177m from her own townhouse.

"Bang... bang, bang, bang," she described them to the court, marking a pause between the first and second bangs.

Barry Roux, for Pistorius, has questioned whether Burger confused the sound of the cricket bat striking the door with shots.

The State will try to prove that Pistorius committed premeditated murder when he shot and killed Steenkamp through the toilet door in his Pretoria home.

In addition, he is charged with premeditated murder, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, and recklessly discharging a firearm in public.

Pistorius contends he mistook her for an intruder when he shot through the toilet door.

Reeva too badly injured to scream: Roux - Sapa

Reeva Steenkamp would have been too severely injured to scream on the fateful morning of February 14 last year, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Tuesday.

"There was serious, serious, brain damage," said Barry Roux, SC, for murder-accused Oscar Pistorius.

Pistorius held his head in his hands, hiding his face and cried.

A woman sitting with his family in the public gallery handed him a tissue.

Roux was seeking to disprove witness Michelle Burger's testimony that she heard a petrified woman scream moments before hearing four shots from the direction of Pistorius's home at Silver Woods Country Estate.

Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder, saying he killed Steenkamp by accident when she was in the toilet of his home on Valentine's Day morning and thought she was an intruder.

He has denied there was an argument between the two before the shooting.

Roux said evidence would be presented that Steenkamp's injuries were so severe that there would have been no thought process and no cognitive function.

"It could not have been. She could not have screamed," he said.

After his lengthy cross-examination of the first witness in the trial, Pistorius's lawyer finally concluded his cross-examination.

Roux ended by asking Burger questions about her experience with guns.

She reiterated her statement from Monday that while she had heard gunshots before, it was the first time she had heard shots since she moved into Silverstreams Estate, the complex next to Silverwoods Estate where Pistorius lived and shot dead Steenkamp.

"Those were the only shots I had ever heard," said Burger.

The next witness, Estelle van der Merwe, was called to the stand.

When the willow meets the Meranti - Sapa

Gunshots heard the night Reeva Steenkamp was killed could have been the sound of a cricket bat striking a door, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Tuesday.

The suggestion was made by Barry Roux, SC, for murder-accused Oscar Pretorius, as he was cross-examining witness Michelle Burger, who said she heard the shots.

Roux asked: "Do you know what it sounds like when an English willow wood [cricket bat] makes hard contact with a meranti door?"

With her house 177m from Pistorius's townhouse, where Steenkamp was killed, Roux asked her if this sound would not resemble gunshots.

"Only an expert can say, but I doubt it. A gunshot is extremely loud," she replied.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel lost his composure at one point during Roux's questioning.

He got up and addressed Judge Thokozile Masipa, complaining that the witness was being badgered.

Nel mistakenly addressed the judge as "Madam" instead of "My Lady".

His prompt apology evoked laughter from the public gallery, relieving the tension.

The State will try to prove that Pistorius committed premeditated murder when he shot and killed Steenkamp through a toilet door in his Pretoria home on February 14 last year.

In addition, he is charged with premeditated murder, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, and recklessly discharging a fireram in public.

Pistorius contends he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he shot through the toilet door.

Oscar lawyer sees 'remarkable similarities' in statements - Sapa

There are "remarkable similarities" in the statements of a couple on what they heard the night Oscar Pistorius shot dead Reeva Steenkamp, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Tuesday.

Barry Roux, SC, for Pistorius, said three quarters of a statement presented by Michelle Burger were similar to that of her husband Charl.

"It seems like the one was used as a template for the other," said Roux, cross-examining Burger.

Earlier, Burger maintained she was not present when her husband relayed his version of events to the police officer.

"We didn't go and try and discuss and manipulate anything," said Burger.

She said while the police officer taking her statement may have been in possession of her husband's statement, she had not seen it.

The police officer had come to their home to take the statement.

"I didn't look for my husband's statement or ask to see it," said Burger.

She said her husband had left the house after giving his statement, leaving the police officer with her.

Roux questioned why she and her husband Charl Johnson's statements were, paragraph by paragraph, the same when they stated details such as that they went to bed between 9pm and 10pm on the first floor of their home .

The atmosphere was leavened with laughter after the confirmation that Burger and her husband were "in the same room".

Roux said it was remarkable that she and her husband said exactly the same thing about placing a call to security for help at 3.16am on February 14 that lasted 58 seconds.

"There was only one call, it was the same call," said Burger," flicking a page of a document in front of her and straightening herself up.

On Monday the court heard that Johnson's statement tells of a different number of shots to the four Burger heard.

Johnson is on the witness list.

The couple live at the Silverstreams Estate, which is next to Silverwoods Country Estate, the complex where Pistorius shot and killed Steenkamp.

Burger claimed to have heard screams and shots coming from Pistorius's home, which was about 177 metres away from her home.

The State will try to prove that Pistorius committed premeditated murder when he shot and killed his girlfriend through a bathroom door in his Pretoria home on February 14 last year.

In addition, he is charged with premeditated murder and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Pistorius's lawyers will argue that he mistook her for an intruder when he shot through the bathroom door.

11:30am: Summary of court proceedings thus far -Tymon Smith

The second day of Oscar Pistorius's murder trial saw the athlete looking more focused and confident, often passing notes to his defence team during Advocate Barry Roux's continued cross-examination of Pistorius's neighbour Michelle Burger.

Proceedings were interrupted, however, when prosecutor Gerrie Nel objected to a photograph of Burger being broadcast by television channel eNCA.

The channel argued that, based on its legal advice, it was not in violation of the court order allowing media coverage. It obtained the still photo from the website of the University of Pretoria, where Burger works.

Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled that the broadcast was a violation and ordered an investigation into the matter, warning the media that they would not be treated with “”kid gloves” if they violated the terms of the order.

The media, instead of focusing on fulfilling their mandate to bring the events unfolding in the Pretoria High Court to the public's attention, briefly became the focus of that attention.

The trial resumes after tea with Roux's further examination of Burger, who for the moment is standing by her testimony that she was awakened by the sounds of a woman's screams in the early hours of February 14 2013, before hearing shots and further screams, which then faded away.

Burger and her husband live in a neighbouring estate to Silver Woods, where the shooting took place, in a unit 177m from Pistorius' home.

No concerns over interpreter: Dept

The justice department was unaware of any concerns relating to the interpreter in Oscar Pistorius's murder trial in the High Court in Pretoria, spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said on Tuesday.

"The justice department has noted media reports relating to the interpretation in Mr Oscar Pistorius criminal proceedings that are currently underway," he said in a statement.

"We wish to state that the performance of court officials, in particular an interpreter, is critical to proper administration of justice. However, the department cannot comment on the proceedings in view of the matter being sub judice..."

Mhaga said the presiding officer Judge Thokozile Masipa was busy with proceedings and it was for her to deal with concerns that come from both parties involved in the matter.

"To this end, the department is not aware of any concerns raised and would therefore allow the wheels of justice to continue to be in motion," he said.

"We have full confidence that justice will prevail. However during trial the interpreters will be rotated in terms of our schedule as and when it's necessary."

On Monday, the interpreting from Afrikaans to English was questioned in the court.

Pistorius's counsel Barry Roux, SC, had heard witness Michelle Burger testify that the night after the shooting she was "deurmekaar" -- which the interpreter translated as confused.

As Roux rounded in on the word "confused", the judge interrupted.

"Is there a difficulty between you and the interpreter," asked Masipa.

Burger said: "She is interpreting what I am saying. Some of the words are not what I am saying and then I am correcting in English."

She said she was willing to speak English and then change to Afrikaans.

Masipa said she should make up her mind and Burger settled for Afrikaans.

Pistorius, 27, is charged with murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria on Valentine's Day last year and contravening the Firearms Control Act.

He has said he thought she was an intruder when he shot her through a closed toilet door.

Witness statement queried - Sapa

Oscar Pistorius's lawyer on Tuesday queried the evidence of a witness testifying in the murder trial of the paralympian.

Barry Roux, for Pistorius, said Michelle Burger's statement given to police several days after the shooting did not match her testimony.

Burger told the High Court in Pretoria she heard screams, followed by the gunshots.

The screams subsided after the last shot.

Roux argued that this was not reflected in her statement, which was initially written in Afrikaans.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel objected, saying Burger had accurately relayed her statement, and the interpretation was reflected differently due to the changing of the statement from English to Afrikaans.

Nel said there were some phrases and words that could be explained in a shorter way in Afrikaans but needed a lengthier explanation in English.

Burger said: "My statement is a few pages long. I've been testifying for hours and I can explain the minute details to the court."

Pistorius listened attentively to the proceedings.

He is on trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

He said he shot her dead after mistaking her for an intruder.

Reeva's screams questioned - Sapa

The question of whether Reeva Steenkamp screamed before she was shot dead was probed on day two of Oscar Pistorius's murder trial in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Barry Roux, for Pistorius, asked witness Michelle Burger whether she had heard, at the paralympic athlete's bail application, his version that Steenkamp did not scream.

"I heard a woman scream," Burger answered.

Roux tried to have her explain the discrepancy between her version and Pistorius's.

"Maybe Mr Pistorius can explain why," she answered.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel interrupted proceedings to tell the court that he had been informed that Burger's face was being shown on television, despite her request that this not happen.

Court was adjourned for Judge Thokozile Masipa to look into the matter.

The State will try to prove that Pistorius committed premeditated murder when he shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp through a bathroom door in his Pretoria home on February 14 last year.

In addition he is charged with premeditated murder and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

His lawyers will argue that he mistook her for an intruder when he shot through the bathroom door.

ENCA tweets about picture - Sapa

An ENCA tweet on Tuesday says the broadcaster used a still picture during their televised broadcast of paralympian Oscar Pistorius's murder trial on Tuesday.

"NOTE: 'We used a still picture from the University website - also carried in daily newspapers,' said ENCA's head of news Patrick Conroy on Twitter.

The trial was adjourned after the High Court in Pretoria was informed that the face of witness Michelle Burger was being televised.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel interrupted proceedings to say that he had been told that Burger's face was being shown on television, despite her request that this should not happen.

Her image, a still photograph, appeared on eNews Channel Africa.

Judge Thokozile Masipa adjourned the proceedings to investigate the matter.

Witness shown on TV - Sapa

The Oscar Pistorius murder trial was adjourned on Tuesday after the High Court in Pretoria was informed that the face of the witness was being televised.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel interrupted proceedings to say that he had been told that Michelle Burger's face was being shown on television, despite her request that this should not happen.

Her image, a still photograph, appeared on eNews Channel Africa.

Judge Thokozile Masipa adjourned the proceedings to investigate the matter.

Pistorius takes call and chats to artist - Sapa

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius briefly took a phone call and then spoke to a sketch artist at the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday ahead of his murder trial.

The two casually shook hands before a brief interaction. Pistorius looked at ease on Tuesday, often looking back at the public gallery.

There was no sign of Reeva Steenkamp's mother June who was there on day one of the trial.

Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14 last year. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder, and contraventions under the Firearms Control Act, including possession of ammunition without a licence. He claims he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar.

The first witness, Michelle Burger, took the stand on Monday and testified that she heard a woman's "blood-curdling" screams coming from his home on the night of the shooting. Cross-examination of Burger was due to continue on Tuesday at 9.30am.

The proceedings in the wood-panelled courtroom were broadcast live on television and radio, with the initial indictment listing 107 witnesses to testify for the State.

Judge Thokozile Masipa presided and swore in assessors Janet Henzen-du Toit and Themba Mazibuko.

Pistorius arrives shortly after 9am - Sapa

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius entered the High Court in Pretoria shortly after 9am on Tuesday for the second day of his highly-publicised murder trial.

He was carrying a blue umbrella and a laptop bag, and wore a black suit and dark tie.

Pistorius entered the dock and began speaking to a police officer.

He then turned around and briefly spoke to his family who sat in the gallery behind him.

Pistorius's lawyer Brian Webber was also seen in court.

Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14 last year. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder, and contraventions under the Firearms Control Act, including possession of ammunition without a licence. He claims he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar.

The first witness, Michelle Burger, took the stand on Monday and testified that she heard a woman's "blood-curdling" screams coming from his house on the night of the shooting. Cross-examination of Burger was due to continue on Tuesday at 9.30am.

The proceedings in the wood-panelled courtroom were broadcast live on television and radio, with the initial indictment listing 107 witnesses to testify for the State.

Judge Thokozile Masipa presided and swore in assessors Janet Henzen-Du-Toit and Themba Mazibuko.

Journos wait in cars ahead of trial - Sapa

Journalists waited in their cars and under marquees outside the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday morning ahead of paralympian Oscar Pistorius's second day in the dock.

Some were sipping coffee as grey clouds and rain persisted in the area. Police presence was minimal.

Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14 last year. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder, and contraventions under the Firearms Control Act, including possession of ammunition without a licence. He claims he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar.

The 27-year-old claims he woke up when he heard a noise from the bathroom on that day, according to opening remarks by his attorney Kenny Oldwadge.

"Reeva must have gone to a toilet, [and] closed the sliding doors," Oldwadge said reading from a statement.

"I [Pistorius] approached the bathroom to defend Reeva and I."

The first witness, Michelle Burger, took the stand on Monday and testified that she heard a woman's "blood-curdling" screams coming from his house on the night of the shooting.

Cross-examination of Burger was due to continue on Tuesday.

The proceedings in the wood-panelled courtroom were broadcast live on television and radio, with the initial indictment listing 107 witnesses to testify for the State.

Click here for Oscar trial proceedings of DAY 1