News » but is still missing U.S.

PRETORIA, South Africa - The chief defence lawyer in Oscar Pistorius murder trial sought on Wednesday to undermine the prosecution testimony of a couple who say they heard a womans screams and gunfire the night the athlete fatally shot his girlfriend. Lawyer Barry Roux said telephone records will show that the banging sounds the neighbours heard were instead a distressed Pistorius hitting a toilet door with a cricket bat to get to fatally wounded girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Charl Johnson and his wife Michelle Burger have testified to hearing a sequence of events in the pre-dawn hours of Valentines Day last year that involved a woman screaming, a man shouting for help and then the sound of gunshots. Cross-examining Johnson on the third day of the blockbuster trial, Roux says call records will show Pistorius called an estate manager at around 3:19 a.m. and soon after he bashed in the door with the bat. In Johnson and Burgers testimony, they say they heard what they described as shots straight after making a call to security at 3.16 a.m. The similar times show the sounds were the bat on the door, Roux argued. "There is only one thing you could have heard, because it coincides precisely," Roux said to Johnson. "That was the time that he (Pistorius) broke down the door (with the bat)." Johnson replied, addressing the judge: "My lady, I am convinced the sound I heard was gunshots." "I understand," Roux said in the exchange, suggesting Johnson had convinced himself they were shots. Throwing doubt on the witnesses recollection of the sequence is crucial for Pistorius defence after the state maintained there was a loud argument on the night he shot Steenkamp through a door in his bathroom and screams and shouts before a gun was fired. Pistorius team wants to show the screams were Pistorius calling for help after the accidental shots. After a break, prosecutor Gerrie Nel asked for permission to stand down Johnson until Thursday to get more records. The judge agreed and the case moved on to its fourth witness. Pistorius, 27, has said he shot 29-year-old Steenkamp by accident, fearing she was a dangerous intruder in his home. The case has transfixed people around the world, and the proceedings are being broadcast on television, adding to the scrutiny of South Africas criminal justice system as well as the character of a globally admired athlete whose career peaked when he ran in the 2012 Olympics. Pistorius was born without fibula bones because of a congenital defect and his legs were amputated when he was 11 months old. He has run on carbon-fiber blades and was initially banned from competing against able-bodied peers because many argued that his blades gave him an unfair advantage. He was later cleared to compete. He is a multiple Paralympic medallist but he failed to win a medal at the London Olympics. Lawyer Roux earlier attacked the testimonies of Johnson and Burger by also saying similarities in their accounts indicated that they had aligned their versions at the expense of truth. In his testimony Johnson told the court in Pretoria, the South African capital, that he heard the cries of a terrified woman and shooting around the time that Pistorius killed Steenkamp. Johnsons wife, Burger, had given similar testimony and at one point broke down in tears because of what she said was the memory of the terrified screams of a woman. Roux said there were differences between the statements that Johnson and Burger had given to police after the shooting, and testimony that they gave in court. Both the statements and the testimony shared similarities, Roux said, implying that the couple had contaminated their evidence by talking through what they were going to say. "You could just as well have stood together in the witness box," Roux said. "What do you say to that?" The tart assertion drew a caution from Judge Thokozile Masipa, who told Roux he had gone too far. Roux contended that crucial elements in the testimony of the couple were missing in their earlier comments to police, including the statements that they heard a womans screams rising in anxiety and intensity and that they heard the womans voice "fading" after the last in a volley of gunshots. Johnson suggested that he and his wife were more expressive while testifying in court than when providing information for a police document. "I would venture a guess that its the way you verbally tell the story," he said. "Theres a lot more emotion involved ... whereas the statement is more factual." At the beginning of proceedings on Wednesday, prosecutor Nel said Johnsons telephone number had been read out in court a day earlier. Johnson then said he had since received a "large amount" of missed calls. He described one voicemail message as saying: "Why are you lying in court? You know Oscar didnt kill Reeva. Its not cool." ___ Gerald Imray is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP Cheap Bulls Jerseys Free Shipping . PAUL, Minn. Authentic Scottie Pippen Jersey . Or maybe he already did. Clark hit his first homer, Wily Peralta pitched into the seventh inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 Wednesday night. http://www.cheapbullsjerseysauthentic.com/ . A rainy day saw the former champion Djokovic handle 14th-seeded Frenchman Jo- Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) under the roof on the famed Centre Court. Authentic Zach LaVine Jersey .com) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quickly found themselves a new offensive coordinator, and one thats quite familiar with the NFC South. Wholesale Bulls Jerseys Authentic . Vonn had another scary moment at Saturdays World Cup downhill in Val dIsere, ending up clutching her knee in pain after losing her balance and missing a gate. But she gave a reassuring answer shortly afterward, saying no new damage had been done to the surgically repaired knee, and that her plans for the Sochi Olympics were still intact.MONTREAL -- Montreal Impact coach Frank Klopas calls Jack McInerney a "pure striker," and that label fit perfectly after his two-goal performance on Sunday night. The 21-year-old, obtained Apr. 4 in a trade with the Philadelphia Union, headed in a goal just before halftime and surprised himself with a blind shot in off a post in the second half as the Impact downed the slumping Houston Dynamo 3-0. Marco Di Vaio added a late goal as the Impact (3-7-5) followed up a strong 0-0 draw in Vancouver on Wednesday with a win that gave them points in consecutive games for the time since April. After a horrendous start to the season, the Impact are 2-1-1 in its last four. Three of their next four games are on the road, where Montreal has yet to win this season, starting Saturday at Chivas USA in California. "It was important after the (World Cup) break to get a point in Vancouver and important to have consistency and follow that with a good result," said Klopas. "We have to build on this." The Dynamo (5-10-2) have been outscored 13-0 while losing five games in a row. Houston had Honduran midfielder Boniek Garcia back from the World Cup in Brazil but is still missing U.S. international Brad Davis. It was a prime chance for Montreal to get a much-needed points. While the Impact controlled most of the match and outshot Houston 17-8, it took McInerneys soft touch around the net to bag the three points. The striker known as Jack Mac has been everything the Impact hoped for when they sent 2012 first overall draft pick Andrew Wenger to Philadelphia. McInerney has six goals in eight MLS matches since joining the Impact (he had one for the Union before the trade), and added three more in Voyageurs Cup play. "Hes a pure striker," said Klopas. "He might not do anything or he might not be involved in the buildup, but then boom. One opportunity. "Its been good for him here working with Marco. The runs he makes are very similar." Added McInerney: "Its the way Ive always been. I dont do anything for 89 minutes and I get one chance and I usually put it away." He got his first of the night in the 42nd minute as he broke toward the goal and headed a pass from fullback Eric Miller past goalie Tally Hall. Then he added an impressive one in the 75th, putting the ball in off a post on a bicycle kick with his back to the net, after Justin Mapp beat a defender and lobbed a pass in front. "I got a little lucky," said McInerney. "Just make solid contact and whatever happens." The smile of disbelief on Di Vaios face afterward showed even the former Bolgna striker was impressed. "(Di Vaio) didnt say anytthing, but someone told me he was screaming at me to leave it," said McInerney.dddddddddddd "But I dont think he can be too mad at me." The Impact hope their season is turning around. With the win, Montreal improved from last in the eastern conference, and are now tied for ninth with the Chicago Fire with 14 points. The Impact got centreback Matteo Ferrari back earlier in the week and both Di Vaio and Mapp returned from injuries for the Houston game. Both started on the bench and came on in the second half. "Its good moving forward," said Mapp. "The first part of the season didnt go the way we wanted, obviously, but if you can put two or three wins together, youre right back in the mix. It gives us confidence going forward." Captain Patrice Bernier said McInerneys second goal may be a sign that balls that wouldnt go in earlier in the campaign are now starting to find the net. A tap-in goal for Di Vaio after Hall only got a hand on Andres Romeros shot was also a plus. It was only the second in an injury-plagued season for the striker who had 20 goals in 2013. There was silence in the Houston locker room. The Dynamo have not scored in a league game since May 17, a club record span of 479 minutes. That nearly ended 30 minutes in when Omar Cummings volley of a long pass from Giles Barnes struck the post. Instead, the Impact and goalie Troy Perkins got consecutive clean sheets for the first time since last August. "Its the way things are going," said Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear, who was in no mood to talk after the defeat. Asked what his team needs to do to get out of its slump, he said: "Win a game. It gives you confidence." Saputo Stadium has been a tough place for Houston the last two seasons. In 2013, they were outscored 7-0 in a pair of losses in Montreal. The Dynamo do much of the same when Montreal visits Houston, including a 1-0 win there earlier this season. The stadium was mostly quiet through the first half as a group of their main supporters protested the expulsion of some members at the teams last home game for lighting flares. Notes: Miller made his first start since April 19 for Montreal in place of Karl Ouimette, while Felipe returned to take the injured Issey Nakajima-Farrans (hamstring) spot in midfield. Felipe missed a game while his wife had a baby. . . Di Vaio and Mapp returned from injury and both went on in the second half. . . Dynamo forward Will Bruin and defender Corey Ashe were back after missing a U.S. Open Cup match with injuries, while Ricardo Clark and Brian Ownby, both returning from concussions, were on the bench. Ownby replaced Cummings in the 58th minute. Authentic Nike Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Tennessee Titans Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Washington Redskins Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Arizona Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Denver Broncos Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Green Bay Packers Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike New England Patriots Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Oakland Raiders Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Seattle Seahawks Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Carolina Panthers Jerseys Cheap Authentic Nike Cleveland Browns Jerseys Cheap Cheap Throwback Baseball Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Atlanta Braves Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Baltimore Orioles Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Boston Red Sox Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Chicago Cubs Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Chicago White Sox Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Cincinnati Reds Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Cleveland Indians Jerseys ' ' '