<p>Lawyers defending Oscar Pistorius on charges of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp rested their case, allowing the court to set a date of August 7-8 for closing arguments.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Advocate Barry Roux said the sprinter’s defence team had called its last witness, heralding the final stages of a high-profile trial that is now in its fifth month. “This matter, then, is postponed until the 7th of August 2014 at 9:30,” said Judge Thokozile Masipa on Tuesday.<br /><br />Legal teams from both sides will submit their written arguments to Masipa before that date — the prosecution on July 30 and the defence on August 4. The veteran judge warned that these documents must not be made public before oral arguments begin.<br /><br />A leak would be a “disservice to justice, and that person who does it, is a thief,” said Judge Masipa. The trial, which began on March 3, has garnered worldwide public attention, including a dedicated 24-hour trial channel and countless newspaper column inches.<br /><br />Such was the intensity of the public gaze that some witnesses, including Pistorius refused to testify on camera, while according to Roux, some refused to testify at all.<br /><br />During 39 days of court proceedings the world looked on as Pistorius — who rose to international fame at the 2012 London Olympics — appeared in the dock, weeping, vomiting and at times completely unable to compose himself as he tried to explain how Steenkamp’s death was a tragic accident. <br /><br />But state lawyers showed no mercy, with pitbull prosecutor Gerrie Nel tearing apart his witnesses bit by bit as he tried to prove Pistorius knowingly killed Steenkamp after an argument.</p>
<p>Lawyers defending Oscar Pistorius on charges of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp rested their case, allowing the court to set a date of August 7-8 for closing arguments.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Advocate Barry Roux said the sprinter’s defence team had called its last witness, heralding the final stages of a high-profile trial that is now in its fifth month. “This matter, then, is postponed until the 7th of August 2014 at 9:30,” said Judge Thokozile Masipa on Tuesday.<br /><br />Legal teams from both sides will submit their written arguments to Masipa before that date — the prosecution on July 30 and the defence on August 4. The veteran judge warned that these documents must not be made public before oral arguments begin.<br /><br />A leak would be a “disservice to justice, and that person who does it, is a thief,” said Judge Masipa. The trial, which began on March 3, has garnered worldwide public attention, including a dedicated 24-hour trial channel and countless newspaper column inches.<br /><br />Such was the intensity of the public gaze that some witnesses, including Pistorius refused to testify on camera, while according to Roux, some refused to testify at all.<br /><br />During 39 days of court proceedings the world looked on as Pistorius — who rose to international fame at the 2012 London Olympics — appeared in the dock, weeping, vomiting and at times completely unable to compose himself as he tried to explain how Steenkamp’s death was a tragic accident. <br /><br />But state lawyers showed no mercy, with pitbull prosecutor Gerrie Nel tearing apart his witnesses bit by bit as he tried to prove Pistorius knowingly killed Steenkamp after an argument.</p>