Oscar Pistorius broke down twice on the witness stand as he narrated the precise details of the night he shot and killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp while prosecutor Gerrie Nel continued his relentless questioning on Monday, ABC News reported.
Accused of murdering his long-time girlfriend on Valentine's Day 2013, 27-year-old Pistorius is on trial in Pretoria, South Africa.
Claiming that he had mistaken Steenkamp to be an intruder, Pistorius denied the charges of having intentionally shot at her.
Nel accused Pistorius of changing his defense. He repeatedly questioned the athlete about whether he intended to shoot at the perceived intruders behind the bathroom door.
"My defense is I heard the noise, I didn't have time to think, I fired out of fear," Pistorius said.
Pointing out that the athlete's version had changed from self-defense to involuntary action, Nel targeted Pistorius' previous statements.
"I did not fire at Reeva," Pistorius wailed.
According to ABC News, when Pistorius broke down sobbing, the court was briefly adjourned in order for him to calm down and compose himself.
"During today's cross-examination, Nel continued to assault Pistorius' credibility, questioning several statements Pistorius made previously that were not in his bail application or his plea explanation, saying they are examples of how Pistorius tailors his evidence," ABC reported.
"You see Mr. Pistorius, it's getting more and more improbable. ... You're building a version that is so improbable that no one would ever believe you."
Known in South Africa as the "Bull Terrier" for his no-holds-barred approach to cross-examination, the prosecutor questioned Pistorius about the sounds he heard coming from the bathroom before shooting at the intruder.
Nel made allegations of Pistorius using the sound of Steenkamp falling against a magazine rack to adjust his aim before shooting her.
Pistorius broke down on the stand when Nel asked him to repeat his exact words the night of the shooting. "I screamed, 'Get the f*** out of my house ... get the f***out of my house,'" Pistorius said, weeping.
If found guilty of murder, Pistorius could face 25 years to life in prison, ABC News reported.
