Oscar Pistorius sentencing: witness says more prison would have 'detrimental effect' – live

CONVICTED murderer Oscar Pistorius was aggressive and verbally abusive towards prison officials in his first month in jail, the Pretoria High Court heard today.

“Centre management reports that Mr Pistorius struggled to adapt and was aggressive and violent towards officials in the first month,” prosecutor Gerrie Nel told psychologist Jonathan Scholtz during cross-examination.

Nel was speaking during sentencing proceedings for Pistorius. He referred to a statement in a report by Kgosi Mampuru's counseling psychologist. She wrote that Pistorius's verbal aggression was a further sign of his explosive nature.

“Mr Pistorius fails to identify himself as having committed a crime,” the report stated according to Nel.

Nel asked Scholtz why he had not included this report in his own report on Pistorius.

Scholtz said he found her report was “poor” and “unscientific” and that her conclusions seemed to have been plucked out of the air. He said his own view of Pistorius was that he was not a violent person and that such behaviour was out of character.

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Nel accused him of bias towards Pistorius and of trying to present a report that would favour him during sentencing.

In December last year, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned his conviction of culpable homicide. It found he had murdered his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013 and sent the matter back to the high court to sentence him.

As Pistorius stepped out of the dock he blew his nose. His sister Aimee comforted him.

Sentencing will continue tomorrow.