Oscar Pistorius Apologises to Reeva's Family, Says He Was ‘Simply Trying to Protect’ her during Shooting

Oscar Pistorius has apologized for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his initial statement today as he took the stand for the first time in his murder trial in South Africa. The Olympian told Steenkamp’s mother June, who showed no emotion at the double-amputee’s concession:

There hasn’t been a moment since this tragedy happened that I haven’t thought about your family. I wake up every morning and you’re the first people I think of, the first people I pray for … I was simply trying to protect Reeva. I can promise that when she
went to bed that night she felt loved.”

In his testimony, Pistorius, 27, said he’s been haunted by the “smell of blood” in nightmares since the Feb. 14, 2013 incident, which he claims his mistake, as he thought the model-reality star was an intruder. He also said he’s been taking anti-depressants and sleep-deprived since the shooting, citing one incident in which he began to panic.

“I climbed into a cupboard and I phoned my sister to come and sit by me, which she did for a while.”

Should Pistorius be convicted of premeditated murder, he could be sentenced up to life with a 25-year minimum sentence. If convicted of murder, he could face up to 15 years in custody. With no jury trials in South Africa, his fate rests in the hands of Judge Thokozile Masipa.