18 March,2014 07:51 AM IST | | AFP
Oscar Pistorius was in the process of buying six guns at the time he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, more than usually allowed under South African law, his murder trial heard yesterday
Oscar Pistorius
Pretoria: Oscar Pistorius was in the process of buying six guns at the time he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, more than usually allowed under South African law, his murder trial heard yesterday.
Oscar Pistorius
Gun licenser Sean Rens testified that Pistorius had sound knowledge of gun laws, but also once entered full "combat mode" after mistaking a washing machine for an intruder.
When Steenkamp died on Valentine's Day last year, the Paralympic champion had recently been invoiced for six guns including a Smith & Wesson 500, described by its manufacturer as the "most powerful production revolver in the world."
Pistorius had also ordered a Vector .223-calibre rifle, a 38-calibre Smith & Wesson revolver and three shotguns - a Mossberg Maverick, a Winchester and a Carbine gun.
"The transaction was cancelled a month post-incident," said Rens, manager of a firearms training academy in Walkerville, south of Johannesburg, as the athlete's trial entered its third week. South African law allows non-collectors to possess only four firearms.
Rens, whose job involves arranging gun sales, licensing and training, said Pistorius "had a great love and enthusiasm" for firearms and scored high on an examination intended to quiz gun owners on the lawful use of lethal weapons.
