"Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius asked a friend to take the blame when he accidentally discharged a pistol under the table at a Johannesburg restaurant one month before he killed his girlfriend, another athlete testified Wednesday in the runner's murder trial. Boxer Kevin Lerena told the court that Mr Pistorius had asked the owner of the gun to take the blame.
The incident happened the month before Mr Pistorius shot dead his 29-year-old girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
The 27-year-old double amputee denies intentionally killing her, saying he mistook her for an intruder. He also denies charges of illegally possessing ammunition. Steenkamp, a model and reality TV star, was shot dead in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year at Mr Pistorius's home in the capital, Pretoria.
The arrest of a national sporting hero, who won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and also competed at the Olympics, astounded South Africa.
Mr Lerena, a professional boxer, is the fourth witness to take the stand at the trial, which began at the High Court in Pretoria on Monday. He testified that he had been to Tasha's Restaurant in Johannesburg with Mr Pistorius and two other people, including Darren Fresco, in January 2013. Mr Fresco had passed his firearm to Mr Pistorius and said "I'm one up", meaning there was a bullet in the chamber of the gun, Mr Lerena said. When the firearm was handed over, there was a shot followed by "complete silence", the boxer added.
"I looked down, and where my foot was there was a hole in the floor," he told the court. "I had a little graze on my toe, but I wasn't hurt." Mr Pistorius had apologised and asked Mr Fresco to take the blame, which he had agreed to do, Mr Lerena said.
"Please, I don't want any attention around me. Just say it was you," he pleaded, according to Mr Lerena.
Prosecutors say Mr Pistorius planned the killing and shot Steenkamp after a row.
Mr Pistorius has said he believed his girlfriend was in bed when he fired at the toilet door in the early hours of 14 February 2013.
Earlier witnesses at the trial were neighbours of the athlete who testified about the sounds they heard around the time of Steenkamp's death.
On Wednesday morning, Mr Roux sought to undermine the testimony of a couple who said they had heard a woman's screams followed by gunfire.
He said telephone records would show that the banging sounds had not been gunshots but Mr Pistorius in distress, breaking down the toilet door with a cricket bat after realising that Ms Steenkamp was inside.
If found guilty of premeditated murder, Mr Pistorius could face life imprisonment.
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