Oscar Pistorius Trial Monday 17 March 2014, Session 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAWZWcw62KY
Time on video:
50:00 Van Staden sworn in. Credentials presented.
52:27 Testimony about arrival and equipment.
Called to scene: He was standby photographer that night. Took Mooikloof photographs too. Contacted to attend the crime scene on 14 Feb 2013 and he arrived at 04:50 with his equipment. Canon IRS 550D, standard 28x35 lens.
55:44 Meeting Botha. Initial or first walkthrough of crime scene.
Arrived and Botha met him at the scene. A/O Botha told him what happened. He was taken through the scene. Asked W/O Botha to clear the scene. Then started to take photographs in garage.
57:27 Procedure: Chain of evidence and Verification of photographs.
Photographs stored on SD card.
Each photograph has metadata. Metadata shows the date, time and photograph number. All photographs are given sequential numbers by the camera. "Each photograph you take gets a number and that follows on each other."
No photographs were deleted.
Full SD card is sealed inside envelope and handed over to administration clerk for verication. The SD card is downloaded on system and a file will be opened for a photographer. The photographer will receive a copy that he calls a "working copy." There is a master copy that is stored by the aministration clerk. There is also an archive made of all the SD cards.
Van Staden will now testify on album 1. He's checked the metadata.
1:01:40 The Accused...
Garage: Closed door. Just me and accused. Explained who I was and the procedure I will conduct (i.e. PR tests and photographing of accused). Then went to ask W/O Botha if accused washed his hands. Botha originally said no, but then asked Lt Col van Rensburg, who said yes OP did wash hands. Back to garage. Asked Oscar if he washed his hands. OP said yes. Van Staden did the tests anyway. Hands? Yes.
Photographs of the accused:
155 - 05:12
156 - 05:12
157 - 05:12
158 - 05:12
Nel says that while they are there in the album, photograph #159 was taken at 07:39.
(All photographs below are also of Oscar Pistorius.)
160 - 07:39
161 - 07:39
162 - 07:40
163 - 07:39.
Notes:
The numbers mentioned are not the sequential metadata numbers given by the camera. These numbers show the order as the photographs appear in the albums. They were chosen and then compiled into various albums by Van Staden. (Testimony below.) So, for example, in this album we find:
155-158 (taken at 05:12)
159-161 (taken at 07:39)
162 (taken at 07:40)
163 (taken at 07:39)
So this particular album is not a chronological record of the crime scene, but photographs are grouped together by location. They show the crime scene location by location from Oscar in the garage to the bathroom upstairs.
Some, but definitely not all, of these photographs are undisturbed crime scene photographs. (Those are grouped in another album.)
1:06:05 From the garage to the house: Downstairs area
From garage he went outside and took photograph #2
2 - 05:15 (front door from outside)
Inside the house. Downstairs area photographs #3-13.
3 - 05:16
4 - 05:16
5 - 05:17 (room with sofa)
6 - 05:17 (bloodspatter on sofa)
7 - 05:17 (bloodspatter on sofa)
8 - 05:17 (close-up of the bloodspatter on sofa)
9 - 05:18
10- 05:18
11- 05:16
12- 05:23 (Reeva's body. Not shown on screen)
13- 05:24
Notes:
Overall-, medium- and close-up photographs taken at the same time. See for example photographs #5-8.
1:09:30 Reeva's body and wounds. (not on screen) #132-154
Nel: If we follow the time of the photos, we will now have to go to photograph #132?
Van Staden: That is correct, m'lady.
132 - 05:24
133 - 05:23
134 - 05:24
135 - 05:30
136 - 05:31
137 - 05:31
138 - 05:31
139 - 05:41
140 - 05:40
141 - 05:40
142 - 05:31
143 - 05:37
144 - 05:38
145 - 05:38
146 - 05:39
147 - 05:31
148 - 05:33
149 - 05:32
150 - 05:35
151 - 05:35 (photograph of Reeva's black vest showing the hole on vest)
152 - 05:35 (wounds on Reeva's chest)
153 - 05:42 (Reeva is turned over. Wounds on Reeva's back)
154 - 05:43 (same wounds as above)
Notes:
At #152 Reeva's body was turned to photograph wounds on her back.
This tells us that once Bennie van Staden has taken the undisturbed (overall) photographs, he immediately moved to turn Reeva over and then take more photographs. Point is that things must be moved. How else can he take photographs of her back? This is normal crime scene procedure.
The purpose of not disturbing the scene is so that Van Staden can take photographs of an undisturbed scene. But the moment photographs (of a specific area or object) are taken, the crime scene/evidence in the photo is officially documented. Stuff should now be moved to take more photographs. Van Staden doesn't waste time. He takes the undisturbed pictures and immediately after that, Van Staden turns her over and takes photographs of her back.
1:14:18 Crime scene procedure discussed
Nel: After taking photographs of the deceased's body and injuries, what did you do?
Van Staden: I then started with my investigation of the scene, m'lady.
Nel: What does that mean?
Van Staden: That means to go through the crime scene and to take photographs of the whole crime scene.
Nel: That will take us back to photograph 14?
1:15:20 Up the stairs and to the main bedroom door.
14 - 05:45 (looking up the stairs)
15 - 05:48 (medium range: bloodspatter on bottom stairs)
16 - 05:46 (close-up)
17 - 05:46 (left side of wall, going up the stairs)
18 - 05:47 (left side of wall, going up the stairs)
19 - 05:47 (close-up)
20 - 05:48 (close-up)
21 - 05:48 (on the same wall, left hand side of stairs)
22 - 05:49 (silver railing of stairs)
23 - 05:49 (railing and close-up of wall)
24 - 05:50 (top of the stairs)
25 - 05:50 (close bloodspatter against wall)
26 - 05:50 (looking down the stairs)
27 - 05:51 (top of stairs wider shot: linen cupboard and door to a balcony)
28 - 05:51 (view of passage at top of stairs)
29 - 05:51 (close-up bloodspatter)
30 - 05:52 (wall)
31 - 05:53 (wall)
32 - 05:52 (wall)
33 - 05:53 (to upstairs room with sofa)
34 - 05:53 (upstairs room with sofa)
35 - 05:54 (view from room with sofa)
36 - 05:54 (door to main bedroom)
37 - 05:54 (wall)
38 - 05:54 (floor)
39 - 05:55 (door to main bedroom)
1:21:05 Close ups of damage to main bedroom door.
40 - 15:33 (15 Feb) (close up damage bedroom door)
All the other photographs mentioned so far were taken on 14 February.
41 - 12:06 (14 Feb) (damage to main bedroom door)
Nel asks when Van Staden first noticed the damage?
Van Staden says on his first walkthrough of the scene the morning of 14 Feb.
42 - 15:33 (15 Feb)
43 - 15:32 (15 Feb)
44 - 15:33 (15 Feb)
45 - 15:31 (15 Feb)
46 - 15:31 (15 Feb) (focus was the damage of the bottom of the main door)
47 - 15:32 (15 Feb) (close up of damage to door)
48 - 15:32 (15 Feb)
49 - 12:07 (14 Feb) (damage to the main bedroom door)
50 - 12:07 (14 Feb)
1:25:15 In the bedroom. Airgun and cabinet.
51 - 05:56 (14 Feb) (display cabinet for sunglasses)
52 - 07:43 (14 Feb)
53 - ??:?? (the contents of cabinet shown in 51 & 52, the bottom part)
54 - 05:55 (14 Feb)
55 - 05:58 (shows the main bedroom)
1:27:25 In the main bedroom
Nel: Now when you took this photo 55, this was the second time you've been to this bedroom? (The first time was during his walkthrough with Botha.)
Van Staden: That is correct, m'lady.
Nel: Was it in the same condition?
Van Staden: That is correct, m'lady.
1:27:40 Items in the bedroom, part 1
56 - 05:58 (shows part of bed, duvet on floor, fan, Ipad, grey t-shirt)
Van Staden says they found another Ipad on the right hand side underneath the bed. He says when he arrived the fan was switched off.
1:29:00 Cartridge holder/magazine and pouch
57 - 08:02 (looks like a drawer?)
58 - 08:02 (magazine and pouch)
Nel: Who found that magazine and pouch?
Van Staden: I did, m'lady.
Where: The right hand side bedside table, in the drawer.
59 - 08:02 (the same magazine as on 58)
1:30:10 Items in the bedroom, part 2
60 - 05:59 (view from the balcony door into room towards bedroom door)
61 - 05:59 (hifi/stereo cabinet)
62 - 07:59 (wooden cabinet)
63 - 07:59 (close-up)
64 - 07:59 (close-up)
65 - 08:00 (close-up)
66 - 08:00 (close-up)
67 - 06:01 (watches with blood spatter)
1:31:55 The duvet: As it was when found and opened up
68 - 05:58 (duvet on carpet and jeans and a black fan, unplugged)
69 - 07:34 (the same duvet opened up by Van Staden)
Nel: Who opened it?
Van Staden: I did, m'lady.
Nel: Why?
Van Staden: There were bloodspots on the duvet and I was investigating to ascertain if there were any more bloodspots on the duvet.
70 - 07:35 (close-up of bloodspots taken after duvet was opened up)
71 - 07:36 (close-up of bloodspatter on open duvet)
72 - 05:58 (pillows, overnight bag and sandals was how he found it)
73 - 05:58 (floor/carpet)
74 - 06:21 (stuff on bedside table)
75 - 06:21 (close-up of stuff on table, holster)
76 - 05:58 (bloodspatter on wall above the left bedside table)
77 - 05:59 (wide shot of room with passage leading to bathroom)
78 - 06:00 (overnight bag)
79 - 06:00 (thermometer (theromostat?) switched off)
80 - 06:01 (passage to bathroom)
Nel: Apart from taking photographs, you also took measurements of the house? Van Staden says he measured the length of the passage from the right corner to the end of the passage as 5.23m (523cm). He confirms that you turn right to bathroom at end of passage.
81 - 06:04 (cartridge case found there)
82 - 06:05 (close-up cartridge case)
83 - 06:05 (cartridge and blood spatter on floor)
84 - 06:05 (close-up of cartridge)
85 - 06:05 (close-up bloodspatter on floor in 83)
86 - 06:05 (bathroom passage)
87 - 06:06 (splinters on floor)