PRETORIA—A South African prosecutor Friday sought to dismantle a central plank ofOscar Pistorius's defense that he shot and killed his girlfriend because he thought she was a burglar in his bathroom.
Capping a week of testimony by Mr. Pistorius, prosecutor Gerrie Nel engaged the double-amputee track star in a set of terse exchanges about the final moments before he fired four times through the closed bathroom door, killing 29-year old Reeva Steenkamp. A weary Mr. Pistorius said he thought his life was in danger because of high crime in the area. Mr. Nel was incredulous, and insisted Mr. Pistorius sought to kill his girlfriend in a fit of rage.
"Is it reasonable for an intruder to run into a toilet and close the door?" Mr. Nel asked.
"It was a possibility," the 27-year-old runner replied.
"It's so far-fetched," Mr. Nel responded. "You knew that Reeva was behind the door, and you shot at her. That is the only thing that makes sense."
Mr. Pistorius took the stand to defend himself on Monday after a month of testimony from witnesses for the prosecution, who painted a portrait of a quick-tempered and impulsive star athlete who shirked responsibility for his actions. After his cross-examination is complete, the defense will call witnesses who are expected to support Mr. Pistorius's claims that he was a fearful of his safety in a country with a high rate of violent crime.
The trial is scheduled to run through May 16.
The case has become a cultural touchstone in South Africa, largely because it combines national obsessions with crime and police competence with the fame of Mr. Pistorius and the glamour of Ms. Steenkamp. The murder trial continues to lead news programs and newspapers, even as a national election approaches early next month.
Prosecutors have charged Mr. Pistorius with premeditated murder, alleging that he shot Ms. Steenkamp after an argument overheard by some of his neighbors from his gated community in Pretoria. If convicted Mr. Pistorius could be sentenced to life in prison
Earlier Friday, Mr. Nel asked Mr. Pistorius how often he had reported crimes at a police station or been a victim of crime at his Pretoria home. Never, he said. Mr. Pistorius then added: "except the watches stolen by police" during their investigation after Ms. Steenkamp was killed.
Former police colonel Schoombie van Rensburg, who oversaw work at the crime scene, testified last month that at least one watch went missing during the investigation. He said the investigation is continuing.
Mr. Pistorius said Friday that he didn't trust the effectiveness of South African police enough to report several instances of crime against him in recent years.
Under questioning from Mr. Nel, he also said that police must have moved items in his bedroom, including a fan and a duvet. Crime-scene photos shown in court on Friday showed those items in different positions from his recollection of how things stood in the moments before he shot Ms. Steenkamp.
The prosecutor also challenged Mr. Pistorius's statement that he turned his burglar alarm off to let police and paramedics into his home in a gated community. Under a barrage of questions, the athlete said he didn't remember disabling it, but "must have" done so.
Judge Thokozile Masipa made a rare interjection, asking Mr. Pistorius if he was too tired to recall things clearly. Mr. Pistorius said he had simply made a mistake and could continue.
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