Intro:

Oscar Pistorius faced fierce cross examination by the prosecution on Wednesday over his version of events on the night that he shot Reeva Steenkamp. During cross-examination, prosecutor Gerrie Nel showed the court a photograph of the effects of the shooting on Steenkamp's head. The South African athlete refused to look at the photo saying he was 'tormented by what he saw'. Pistorius denies deliberately shooting dead his girlfriend, arguing he mistook her for an intruder.

Script:

Oscar Pistorius arrived at the High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday braced for fierce questioning by a man known in South Africa as 'the bulldog'.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel quizzed the South African athlete about his version of events on the night he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Mr Nel was given permission by the judge to show a video of Pistorius at a shooting range, firing shots at a watermelon:

Wide of judge during trial, UPSOUND (English): Oscar Pistorius (not in vision):

"I didn't at any point compare it to a human or shooting at a human."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Gerrie Nel, prosecutor:

"No you did, you did. You said: 'It's softer than brains, who else got brains?"

UPSOUND: (English) Oscar Pistorius:

"My lady, I was, in that whole sentence I was referring to a zombie."

SOUNDBITE (English) Gerrie Nel, prosecutor:

"Now back what we can see there is the effect the ammunition had on a watermelon. It exploded. Am I right?"

UPSOUND: (English) Oscar Pistorius (not in vision):

"That's correct my lady."

Nel: "You know that the same happened to Reeva's head, it exploded. Have a look."

UPSOUND: (English) Gerrie Nel:

"I want to show you Mr Pistorius it had the exact same effect, the bullet that went into her head."

UPSOUND: (English): Oscar Pistorius (not in vision):

"My lady, I was there that night. I.."

UPSOUND: (English) Gerrie Nel:

"That's it, have a look there. I know you don't want to because you don't want to take responsibility, but it's time that you look at it. Take responsibility for what you've done Mr Pistorius."

UPSOUND (English): Oscar Pistorius:

"My lady, I've taken responsibility, by me waiting and not wanting to live my life, but waiting for my time on this stand to tell my story for the respect of Reeva and for myself. I've taken responsibility, but I will not look at a picture where I'm tormented by what I saw and felt that night. As I picked Reeva up my fingers touched her head, I remember, I don't have to look at a picture, I was there."

SOUNDBITE (English) Gerrie Nel, prosecutor (overlaid with other shots of courtroom):

"It's the same thing as the watermelon, you had it now in practice mister. It's softer than brains."

UPSOUND (English) Barry Roux, defence lawyer:

"I think that it is extremely unfair to say that is the same thing as a watermelon. I think it is uncalled for. I see no basis for that."

The trial was then briefly adjourned. The 27-year-old Olympic and Paralympic sprinter, who is a double amputee, denies murder, but admits shooting Steenkamp, believing she was an intruder.