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Paralympian star Oscar Pistorius today pleaded not guilty to the Valentine's Day murder of his girlfriend, as he faced a possible life sentence in the full glare of a trial broadcast around the world.
After a state prosecutor charged that Pistorius "unlawfully and intentionally did kill" girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the sprinter entered a plea of "not guilty, my lady".
Pistorius, 27, also pleaded not guilty to three unrelated gun charges.
Entering the North Gauteng High Court on the opening day of the three-week trial today, Pistorius looked nervous, dressed in a black suit and tie.
Standing in the dock before a packed courtroom, Pistorius looked on as his lawyer Kenny Oldwage outlined the defence's case.
In the statement Pistorius admitted killing Steenkamp, but denied murderous intent. "We were in a loving relationship," Oldwage said on Pistorius's behalf.
Inside the wood-clad court room, the victim's mother June, clad in black, looked on, coming face-to-face with Pistorius for the first time.
"I want to look at Oscar, really look him in the eyes, and see for myself the truth about what he did to Reeva," she told a British newspaper ahead of the trial.
Further down on the wood-panelled bench sat Pistorius's brother Carl, sister Aimee and a handful other relatives.
The families did not interact.
The prosecution argues that the double amputee knowingly killed Steenkamp, while the defence will say he believed she was shooting an intruder.
Judge Thokozile Masipa is presiding in the case that has already been likened to the OJ Simpson murder trial in the US.
The state will seek to prove that Pistorius killed Steenkamp in a rage after the couple quarrelled in the early hours of February 14, 2013.
Prosecutors are expected to rely on the testimony of neighbours who claim to have heard shouting from the house as well as phone records that might indicate strife between the two.
They are also expected to claim that Pistorius had watched porn just before the shooting, apparently contradicting his account of events.
The athlete, who became the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes in the Olympics at the London 2012 Games, will also be asked why he allegedly told security guards at his luxury estate that everything was fine when they phoned after hearing gunshots.
