Oscar Pistorius has given his first television interview since he fatally shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, revealing he can still recall the smell of her blood.
Speaking to veteran investigative journalist Mark Williams-Thomas from British network ITV, the Paralympian described what happened that fateful Valentine’s Day night in 2013.
“I did take Reeva’s life and I have to live with that,” he said according to The Guardian. “I can smell the blood. I can feel the warmness of it on my hands.”
The former sprinter gave the interview from his uncle’s Pretoria home where he remains under house arrest ahead of his sentencing for murder on July 6.
“I understand the pain people feel, that loved her and miss her,” he said during the interview. “I feel that same pain. I feel that same hate for myself. I feel that same difficulty in understanding this. And I look back and I think, I always think – how did this possibly happen? I think, how could this have happened? How could this have happened?”
Pistorius described the event in great detail, explaining that he thought he heard an intruder entering his home.
“This instant fear comes over me that there’s somebody in the house. Somebody’s was actually in the process of breaking in. And my first thing was thinking that I need to grab my firearm.”
He then claims he approached the bathroom on his stumps, shouting and screaming at the trespasser to get out.
“All I know is there’s somebody in my house. And all of a sudden I hear a noise, at the toilet. I presumed it was the toilet door opening and before I knew it I’d fired four shots.”
Via Getty.