Oscar has notebook ready

Oscar Pistorius stands in court shortly after arriving for his trial at the High Court in Pretoria. Photo: Themba Hadebe

Oscar Pistorius stands in court shortly after arriving for his trial at the High Court in Pretoria. Photo: Themba Hadebe

Published Mar 3, 2014

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Pretoria - Murder accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius was ready to take down notes at the High Court in Pretoria on Monday.

His black notebook was on his lap and he had a pen in hand.

The 27-year-old double amputee was also seen passing a note to his family sitting behind him in courtroom GD.

A sketch artist was seen facing Pistorius with pencil and paper ready.

The murder trial was delayed as the court was awaiting the arrival of an Afrikaans interpreter.

On Monday the trial, scheduled to begin at 10am, was not yet underway by 11am.

Several members of both legal teams were seen leaving the courtroom amid media reports that a woman - known as Annemarie -- had apparently brought an application to have Pistorius committed.

The woman, who had previously interrupted Pistorius's bail hearing last year saying the paralympian's mother had asked her to help her son, showed up in the High Court on Monday morning.

Holding a bunch of papers, Annemarie sat in seats reserved for the SAPS members and several court officials took about 15 minutes to convince her to leave courtroom.

She was eventually escorted out of the courtroom at 10.57am.

It was not clear if she was in court to bring another application but during Pistorius's bail hearing last year, she told the court that Pistorius had to be taken for mental evaluation and be assessed for 60 days by independent psychiatrists.

She would not give her surname at the time, saying she was uncertain as she was previously Riethmiller and also previously Versfeld – “ex-wife of Oscar’s orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Gerald Versfeld”.

During the application by the media to broadcast proceedings live last month, she brought another application,

Pistorius, 27, is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his Pretoria home last year. He faces charges of premeditated murder and contravening the Firearms Control Act in a trial which is expected to last at least three weeks.

If the opening arguments finish early enough on Monday, the State may call the first of 107 witnesses, an exhaustive list that includes the defendant's former girlfriends, though it is unlikely everyone will be called to testify.

Oscar’s uncle, Arnold Pistorius, arrived at the High Court in Pretoria around 10am.

Two television sets were set up in an overflow courtroom with a large screen in the middle and speakers on the side.

The proceedings in the wood-panelled courtroom will be broadcast live on television and radio. - Sapa, AFP, The Star

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