Friday 08 August 2014 16.28 A verdict in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial will be delivered on 11 September, after lawyers today concluded five months of proceedings.
"We shall be back here on the 11th of September at 9:30 for the judgment," said Judge Thokozile Masipa, drawing proceedings to a close.
Mr Pistorius' defence lawyer this morning said the "cold facts" did not prove the star sprinter had intended to kill his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
In his closing argument, defence lawyer Barry Roux sought to pick apart the prosecution's case that his famous client had deliberately murdered the 29-year-old model after an argument last year.
Mr Roux accused the state of ignoring evidence from Pistorius's upmarket Pretoria home that did not support its "circumstantial" case, a day after the prosecution painted the athlete as a liar.
"The failure of the state to present that evidence leaves one big question mark," said Mr Roux, "that's the failure of the state's case."
He argued that evidence suggested Mr Pistorius should never have faced murder charges, but rather the trial should have begun with a lesser charge of culpable homicide.
Yesterday Mr Pistorius, a Paralympian known as the "Blade Runner" for his prosthetic legs, was branded a "deceitful" witness by prosecutor Gerrie Nel in his final arguments.
Mr Pistorius's efforts to concoct an alibi had led to a "snowball effect" of lies requiring more lies to back them up, Mr Nel said.
The athlete says he killed Ms Steenkamp by firing four shots through a locked toilet door after mistaking her for an intruder in his upmarket Pretoria home on the night of Valentine's Day last year.
The prosecution argues that he deliberately killed her after an argument.
"In an attempt to tailor his version to support his plea explanation, he tangled himself in a web," said Mr Nel.
Summing up the state's 200-page review of evidence from almost 40 witnesses, Mr Nel said Mr Pistorius, 27, was guilty of "a baker's dozen" of misleading statements.
Mr Nel addressed the court for most of the day yesterday before the defence had a brief opportunity to outline the counter-arguments it would present today.
Mr Roux indicated that he would focus on the timeline of events the night of the shooting, from disputed sounds of gunshots and equally disputed sounds of screams heard by neighbours.
Mr Pistorius faces 25 years in jail if he is convicted of premeditated murder. He also faces three separate gun-related charges.
Even if he is not found guilty of premeditated murder, Mr Pistorius could still be convicted and jailed on alternative charges of culpable homicide.
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