Shain Germaner
PRETORIA: A security guard who works at the complex where Oscar Pistorius killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp will be under the microscope today, as defence advocate Barry Roux continues what is likely to be a staunch cross-examination.
After a week of testimony in the Pretoria High Court, Pieter Baba took the stand as a ninth witness on Friday, where he described his interactions with Pistorius on the night of the shooting.
On February 13, 2013, Baba had been on the night shift at Silverwoods Country Estate. Just a short while before the shooting in the early hours of the 14th, Baba’s security team received complaints of loud noises from a resident’s home.
After a short patrol, Baba returned to the front gate security office, where more complaints came in from residents – including previous witness, Dr Johan Stipp – who had heard the sounds of gunshots coming from Pistorius’s home.
When Baba arrived at Stipp’s home, the doctor pointed to a house where the noises had come from. Baba told the court that it was clear all of the home’s lights were on. He then used his site cellphone to call Pistorius, who told him that “everything (was) fine”.
The security guard said he could tell that Pistorius was crying, prompting him to tell a colleague that things “were not in order”.
Pistorius allegedly called Baba back a short while later, started crying and then hung up the phone.
It was after arriving at Pistorius’s home that Baba saw estate manager, Johan Stander arrive with his daughter, and Baba could tell by their faces that something was wrong.
He then saw Pistorius carrying Steenkamp’s body down the stairs, which shocked the security guard to his core.
Baba was then left to call the police and paramedics.
Roux only had a short while to start his cross-examination on Friday, but tried to fault Baba’s version of events by saying that Pistorius had called Baba first. But Baba denied this, and said he would have to look at the phone records for the site cellphone.