Pistorius video could stop trial - legal expert

The promotional footage, aired on Channel Seven, shows Pistorius on his stumps running through his uncle's house while holding an imaginary gun. He is also seen carrying his sister, Aimee, down a flight of stairs, while on prosthetic limbs. The images reveal a glum-faced Pistorius moving with surprising agility. The report says this is in stark contrast to evidence in his trial by Dr Wayne Derman, who said Pistorius' mobility was severely impeded when he did not have his prosthetic legs on. The film, according to Pistorius' defence team, was part of a visual map marking the events of the morning of the fatal shooting. A US company, The Evidence Room, which specialises in forensic animation, had been hired to shoot the footage. Pistorius' lawyers issued a statement saying the material had been obtained illegally. Associate professor Stephen Tuson, of the Wits University Law Clinic, reportedly said the leaked footage could have an explosive effect on the ongoing trial. 'If it was made by the defence team in preparation (for) the trial it is highly privileged information.' He said the footage's release constituted a breach of attorney-client confidentiality and the sub judice rule. He said the judge could theoretically put a stop to the trial, as there was now no way Pistorius could get a fair trial. Full report in The Times

The video was 'obtained illegally and in breach of the non-disclosure agreement with The Evidence Room,' Brian Webber, a lawyer representing Pistorius, said, according to a report on the News24 site, which also describes the video in detail. Spokesperson for the Pistorius family, Anneliese Burgess said the broadcaster had agreed not to air the material until the end of the trial. Legal observers say it is now unlikely that the prosecution will be able to introduce the video as evidence when the trial resumes today. Full report on the News24 site