Pretoria - One Instagram user has brought light-heartedness and humour to the murder trial of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius by setting up Lego scenes of the court proceedings and posting them on the social media site.
The unknown user, named “legopistorius” created the account, calling it “just a feed about a little Lego who ridiculously resembles the one and only Oscar Pistorius”.
Little is known about the person who created the account apart from what is said in the account information: “from a fan, runner and Lego junkie”.
Since the account was created on November 16, more than 400 pictures of the Lego character Oscar Pistorius, with custom-made Lego running blades and a South African athletics outfit, complete with his race number 2642, have been posted.
More than 770 Instagram users follow the account.
The most recent picture, posted on Sunday, shows footage of the real Pistorius on CNN with the Lego Pistorius set up in front of the television. The caption reads: “CNN is currently spotlighting the trial… I guess the trial is more important than Russia and a missing plane”.
The picture received more than 50 likes.
Another image, posted during the first week of the trial, shows the Lego Pistorius outside the courtroom mobbed by Lego members of the media with Lego cameras and microphones. The caption reads: “Breaking for lunch… The media and paparazzi are relentless.”
The picture received more than 70 likes.
One comment on the picture reads: “Nice one! Series is great!!”
A picture posted three weeks ago shows Lego Pistorius on the couch with two medals around his neck. The caption reads: “Getting ready to catch up on the Winter Olympics! Don’t look at me like that, all former Olympians watch like this”.
Other scenes include the Lego version of Pistorius going out to dinner, at the Lego doctor or buying dog food at a small Lego pet shop.
The Lego Pistorius has different heads with different expressions, including one wearing sunglasses.
In every picture the Lego Pistorius is wearing his running blades.
In one post, Lego Pistorius is not wearing his prosthetics, saying: “Prosthetics off, time for some reading before bed.”
One picture shows Lego Pistorius on a bathroom scale claiming it’s “time to cut back on the snacks”.
None of the posts, however, shows scenes of Reeva Steenkamp’s murder or the tragedy of the murder trial.
On the first anniversary of Steenkamp’s death there were no Lego Pistorius posts. “No Lego related posts today. Taking a 24-hour break out of respect to EVERYONE for the tragedy that happened one year ago today. #ripreeva #oscarpistorius,” reads text on a black background.
Other less realistic posts include Lego Pistorius with Lego versions of the Simpson family, including Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa. Another picture shows the Lego Pistorius with Lego Minions from the movie Despicable Me.
Whoever the mystery Lego Pistorius is, it’s taken a lot of time and knowledge of court proceedings to build and photograph scenes from each day of the real Pistorius’s life.