Vunderkind
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Oscar Pistorius asked a friend to take the blame for him after he accidentally fired a gun inside a restaurant, his trial has heard.
The South African Paralympic sprinter was with three friends including boxer Kevin Lerena - who was giving evidence on Wednesday - inside the Johannesburg restaurant
Pistorius is accused of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Feb. 14 last year in his Pretoria home.
The 27-year-old denies the charge and says he shot her accidentally through a toilet door thinking there was an intruder.
A month earlier, Pistorius had accidentally fired a gun belonging to his friend Darren Fresco, the court was told.
Giving evidence and appearing on camera to television viewers around the world, Lerena said Pistorius had been told `I'm one up’ as Fresco passed his firearm to the sprinter, meaning there was a bullet in the chamber.
The gun was then fired, followed by `complete silence’ inside the restaurant, the boxer said.
``I looked down, and where my foot was there was a hole in the floor,’’ Lerena added.
``I had a little graze on my toe, but I wasn't hurt.’’
Boxer Kevin Lerena told the court Oscar Pistorius asked a friend to take the blame for firing the gun inside a restaurant.
Lerena claimed Pistorius asked that Fresco take the blame for the firing, saying he ``didn't want any attention’’ around him.
Restaurant owner Jason Loupis also took the stand, and said Fresco had taken the blame for the gun being fired inside a restaurant he said was filled with 220 people.
During cross-examination, Pistorius' lawyer Barry Roux said the athlete had not heard the warning of the gun being loaded.
Judge Thokozile Masipa will decide on the guilt or innocence of Pistorius, who won Paralympic gold medals at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
The trial, which started on Monday, is expected to last for several weeks.
