Reeva Steenkamp’s grief-stricken mom broke down sobbing Tuesday as a police ballistics expert testified about the three slugs Oscar Pistorius pumped into her model daughter’s body through a bathroom door.
June Steenkamp — in a somber black suit and white blouse — was comforted by supporters as police Capt. Christian Mangema testified about the three shots, matching them up to crime scene photos of her daughter’s wounds.
The emotional moment came during the 12th day of the so-called “Blade Runner’s” trial in a South African courtroom on premeditated murder charges.
Mangema testified that, of the four hollow-point bullets Pistorius squeezed off, one missed Steenkamp and ricocheted off a wall before hitting another wall.
The other three hit Steenkamp, once each in the head, hip and elbow.
Mangema was presenting his findings under questioning by prosecutor Gerrie Nel when court adjourned.
Earlier Tuesday, Pistorius’ lawyer said that police photos of the blood-spattered scene show that evidence was moved, in violation of procedures, during the probe of the killing.
Bennie van Staden, a police photographer, took hundreds of photos of the grisly scene, including of bloodstains, bullet casings, a gun and a cricket bat found inside the bathroom of Pistorius’ Pretoria pad after the killing on Valentine’s Day 2013.
Lawyer Barry Roux has challenged previous police witnesses to support his argument that officers bungled the investigation.
Pistorius admits firing four hollow-point rounds from a high-powered handgun through his locked bathroom door.
But he claims he thought Steenkamp was an intruder who had somehow gained access to his luxury home in a heavily guarded, gated compound.
Prosecutors said he shot her in a rage after a pre-dawn argument turned violent and she had locked herself in the bathroom to get away from her gun-loving boyfriend.
On Tuesday, Roux scrutinized many photos taken by van Staden and another police officer and pointed out that objects at the crime scene had been moved and were in different positions in photos.
Roux also used time-of-day records on the images to show that the two officers taking photos were in the same room at points, even though van Staden testified he was working alone.
Roux compared photos of the bloody bathroom taken by van Staden with photos in the bathroom taken by another policeman, identified only as a Col. Motha. Both were in the bathroom at that time, according to the times shown on the images.
“You did not see Col. Motha?” Roux asked van Staden, who replied he did not.
Pistorius’ lawyer also asked van Staden to explain differences in photographs of the 9mm pistol that Pistorius used to shoot Steenkamp through the closed toilet door, and of a cricket bat that the Paralympian used to hit the door.
Roux was trying to build a picture of a confused crime scene where many officers may have contaminated the evidence.
Pistorius faces 25 years to life if convicted of premeditated murder.