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In his closing argument on Thursday, Prosecutor Gerrie Nel accused Oscar Pistorius of engaging in a "snowball of lies" that ultimately was so absurd that it degenerated into a "farce". C.J. Miles Jersey . We know that Pistorius has admitted to killing Reeva Steenkamp. The issue being determined at trial is whether he intended to kill her, or as Pistorius alleges, did so by accident. Murder vs. Culpable Homicide The two main charges at play are murder and culpable homicide. In order establish murder, the prosecution needs to show that Pistorius intended to kill Steenkamp. If the prosecution fails on murder, they can still get Pistorius on culpable homicide. This charge means that Pistorius negligently killed Steenkamp. And this is what Pistorius is alleging - he killed Steenkamp by accident. He thought she was an intruder. Remember this critical point: Pistorius can still be convicted of murder if it can be shown that he intended to kill - period. It doesnt matter who - just that he intended to kill someone and that the force he used was disproportionately excessive given the circumstances. Prison Time Murder would result in a compulsory sentence of 15 years in prison. For culpable homicide, the sentencing is discretionary (varies from fines to prison time), although its not unusual to see prison time in South Africa of 5-10 years for this type of crime. The prosecution did charge Pistorius with premeditated murder, which means they are alleging he not only intended to kill Steenkamp, but he planned it out beforehand. With that comes a compulsory life sentence. The problem here for the prosecution is that you need a robust planning element to make out this charge and thats not present here. Rather, this looks like a domestic dispute gone tragically wrong. Nel covered a lot of ground on Thursday in his summation. Here are some of the key moments. Pistorius: A Tale of Two Defences Nel accused Pistorius of having "two defences you can never reconcile". In an earlier version, Nel noted that Pistorius said he "fired" at the toilet door in self-defence, which is evidence of intent (or murder). As well, right after he killed Steenkamp, Pistorius told people that he thought she was "an intruder" but never claimed he shot accidentally. However, later on in his testimony, Pistorius shifted his defence, arguing that he fired by accident. So when Pistorius said he "didnt intend to shoot anyone" and the discharge was an "accident", he was trying to show he lacked the requisite intent for a conviction of murder. For this reason, Pistorius testified that he never "aimed" his gun at the door, but rather the gun was merely "pointing" at the door when it went off by accident. While the difference between the words "aimed" and "pointing" may seem insignificant, in the context of this case they are absolutely key. "Aiming" suggests intent while "pointing" is designed to support the accidental shooting defence. So yes – Pistorius chose his words very carefully. Its tough to believe he fired the gun by accident. He went into a dangerous situation with his firearm, disengaged the safety, proceeded down the hallway to the bathroom in a tactical manner and didnt yell out or fire a warning shot so as to avoid alerting the "intruder" to his presence. However, once facing the bathroom door, he suddenly panicked and accidentally fired four shots in quick succession. Effectively, Pistorius is seeking to convince the Court that all his decisions were conscious and intentional up until the point he was facing the bathroom door, at which point he became unhinged and lost himself. Pistorius Screams Like A Woman In his closing, Nel also noted that Pistorius promised to call a witness to prove that he "screams like a woman". The prosecution called a number of witnesses, including Michelle Burger, Charl Johnson, Dr. Johan Stipp and Estelle van der Merwe, who testified that the lights were on and they heard arguing and screaming. Stipp recounted that he heard female screams that sounded like a woman "scared out of her mind." Burger described female screams as "petrifying" and added this: "I was sitting in bed and I heard her screams," Burger testified. "She screamed terribly and she yelled for help. I heard the screams again. It was worse. It was more intense. Just after her screams, I heard four shots. Four gun-shots... You could hear it was blood curdling screams. You cant translate it into words. The anxiousness in her voice, and fear. It leaves you cold. She screamed terribly and she yelled for help". Pistorius repeatedly alleged that he screamed like a girl. However, little in the way of compelling evidence supporting his position was presented and Nel reminded the Court of that. Steenkamp Facing the Bathroom Door In his closing, Nel argued that Steenkamp was "standing facing the accused" behind the locked bathroom door when she was killed. This is also essential to the prosecutions case. Earlier in the trial, Ballistics Expert Captain Christian Mangena testified that Steenkamp was facing the door when she was shot (rather than with her side facing the door). The first shot hit her in the right hip. The shot broke her hip and threw her back onto a magazine holder. She then assumed a defensive position by crossing her arms over her head. The second shot missed but broke into fragments and bruised her back. The third shot hit her in the right arm, which in the opinion of the expert, supports the conclusion she was shielding herself from fire. The fourth shot hit her in the head, killing her almost instantly. For the prosecution, this helps establish that Steenkamp was in the bathroom hiding from Pistorius when she was shot. If she had simply gone to the bathroom, it would have been more likely that she would not have been facing the door as she was. Steenkamp Brought Her Phone To The Bathroom and Locked The Door Nel reminded the Court that at 3am, Steenkamp took her cellphone to the bathroom and locked the door. The implication is clear: it is highly unusual for someone to take their phone to the bathroom in the middle of the night and lock the door unless they feel threatened. As Nel stated on close, "why would she find herself locked up in the toilet if there was no intruder?". Steenkamp Had A Late Meal During his close, Nel also submitted that Steenkamp consumed food about two hours before her death. According to Pistorius, the couple was in bed by 10pm. This statement was designed to counter witness testimony that the couple was up arguing very late. However, pathologist Professor Gert Saayman testified that food found in Steenkamps stomach suggested she ate within two hours of her death shortly after 3am. Nel also focused on other inconsistencies with Pistoriuss story. How did he not know Steenkamp was not in bed when he walked right by her? Wouldnt Steenkamp have yelled in the bathroom after the first shot was discharged? Why not direct her to safety before confronting the mysterious intruder? Overall, there are a number of improbabilities with Pistorius story. While each piece of evidence when considered in isolation may be insufficient to result in a murder conviction, when viewed in their totality, the evidence conspires to tell a story of a domestic dispute turned tragic. With all the complex evidence before the Court, one simple piece continues to stand out: who goes to the bathroom at 3 oclock in the morning with their cellphone and locks the door? Someone who is deathly afraid, I believe. Rodney Stuckey Pacers Jersey . In many ways he was a different person with different responsibilities, different motivations. He had a lot to prove but he wasnt fully ready to prove it, not like he is now. Solomon Hill Authentic Jersey . - After reserve Marreese Speights finished a one-handed dunk over Travis Outlaw in the fourth quarter, teammates Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry jumped off the Golden State Warriors bench and ran onto the floor in celebration. http://www.shoppacersonline.com/womens-reggie-miller-basketball-jersey/ .C. In total, Canadas Sports Leader delivers 70-plus hours of exclusive live coverage, all the way from Draw 1 (Saturday, March 1) at 4:30 p.m. ET to the Final on Sunday, March 9 at 7:30 p.REGINA -- Corey Chamblin knows who his starting quarterback will be for the next little while. The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed veteran Darian Durant to a multi-year extension Wednesday after leading the club to just its fourth Grey Cup title last year. Knowing he has the 31-year-old Durant for the long-term -- reportedly through the 2016 season -- is a big relief for Chamblin, named the CFLs coach of the year following Saskatchewans Grey Cup championship. "In order to win championships you need to have a quarterback and to win multiple championships you have to have a quarterback who believes in the head coach and I think thats what we have," Chamblin said during a news conference announcing Durants extension. "Its huge to have that security. "Thats the biggest security blanket knowing whos going to be under centre for the next few years." The five-foot-11, 214-pound Durant, a native of Florence, S.C., had one year left on his previous deal. Hes entering his ninth CFL season, all with Saskatchewan. "A lot of guys dont get the opportunity to stay with one franchise their whole career," Durant said. "It was basically a no-brainer for me to stay a part of this organization. "Its the best in the league." And theres certainly continuity at the top as this off-season the Riders have re-signed Durant, Chamblin and general manager Brendan Taman to new extensions. Taman also added the title of vice-president of football operations to his job description Taman called Durants deal "win-win" in that the player receives a fair-market contract that the Riders can afford while the team maintains the nucleus of its roster. "It wasnt about taking as much money as he can get, it was about keeping our team together and that tells you all about Darian," Taman said. "There was a market that was out there that was laid out by other quarterbacks that had signed. "We worked through it and both parties are happy. I think the key in all this is Darian Durant should be recognized as an elite quarterback in this league, which we are prepared to do from our end and were able to get to an agreement with him on a multi-year extension." Exact contract and financial details werent divulged but Durant said his new deal doesnt make him the CFLs highest-paid player in 2014. Its generally regarded B.C. Lions quarterback Travis Lulay enjoys that distinction with a reported salary of about $450,000 this year. Veteran Henry Burris of thee expansion Ottawa Renegades is said to have a similar deal if he can stay healthy this season. Donald Sloan Swingman Jersey. While Durants deal appears to offer the Riders salary-cap savings in 2014, the burning question remains what the quarterbacks average salary might be over the term of the contract. But Chamblin believes Durant can be even better moving forward. "Brendan mentioned him being an elite quarterback, I think Darian has been a very good quarterback," Chamblin said. "Im excited to see him become a great quarterback and one that we can talk about for years." Its not the first time Durant has made a commitment to Saskatchewan. In January 2009 he re-signed with the Riders rather than test the free-agent waters. Durant enjoyed a solid 2013 campaign, passing for 4,154 yards and a league-high 31 TD passes with 12 interceptions. He threw for 550 yards and five TDs with no interceptions in leading Saskatchewan to victory in the West semifinal and final. And then Durant threw for 245 yards and three TDs against Hamilton in the Grey Cup game at Mosaic Stadium, leading Saskatchewan to a 45-23 victory. Durant has completed 1,745 of 2,842 passes (61.4 per cent) for 22,711 yards and 125 touchdowns against 87 interceptions over his career. Hes also a two-time Grey Cup champion, having earned his first championship ring in 07 as a backup with the Riders. But Durants goal is to become the first starting quarterback in Riders history to lead the club to two Grey Cup titles. "If you look at the history of this organization the quarterbacks that have won Grey Cups only have one," he said. "In order for me to separate myself . . . you have to get that second ring and get multiple Grey Cups. "Thats definitely a motivating factor." However, the Riders will definitely sport a different look in 2014. Among the players to leave this off-season are running back Kory Sheets (Oakland, NFL), slotback Weston Dressler (Kansas City, NFL), backup quarterback Drew Willy (Winnipeg, CFL) and defensive tackle Keith Shologan (Ottawa, CFL). "Any time you win theres going to be change, whether its in the coaching staff, the front office or guys looking for raises on other teams," Durant said. "Ive been in this league long enough and played football long enough to know that change is going to come. "I love Dress, I love Sheets, I love those guys to death but the challenge is turning another guy into one of those stars. I look forward to that." wholesale stitched jerseys wholesale jerseys wholesale nfl jerseys cheap nfl jerseys cheap nfl jerseys china ' ' '