Oscar Pistorius Snapped 'Like an Abused Woman' When He Shot Reeva Steenkamp

Barry Roux likened Oscar Pistorius to a abused woman when he shot Reeva SteenkampGetty

Dogged by a gradual build-up of insecurities, Oscar Pistorius was compared to an "abused woman" who snaps after years of abuse, when he blasted girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp to death, claimed his lawyer in court.

Barry Roux made the comparison while presenting his "heads of arguments" as the runner's murder trial nears a conclusion.

Roux told North Gauteng High Court it was a "slow burn" of personal insecurities which drove Pistorius to react in such a violent way to a perceived intruder.

He said that just like a woman snaps and kills her husband after years of abuse, so Pistorius built up an exaggerated response to danger.

Likening Pistorius to a domestic violence victim did not go down well with judge Thokozile Masipa, who challenged Roux on it.

He replied: "Imagine you are a little boy with no legs."

Trial watchers on Twitter were also unimpressed with Roux's analogy.

No, Roux. Disabled Pistorius shooting Reeva Steenkamp is not analogous to an abused woman shooting her abuser. Not even a little bit.

— Jordan Pfotenhauer (@JordzPfot) August 8, 2014

Wow Roux uses analogy of Pistorius as disabled person shooting, with abused woman shooting her abuser. Wow is all I have to say. Wowowowow

— Rebecca Davis (@becsplanb) August 8, 2014

It was speculated that Roux opted for the "abused woman" likeness in a bid to win the sympathy of Judge Masipa, who has a reputation for severity in cases of domestic abuse. But it looked like it failed to hit the mark.

Roux began his presentation under pressure following a strong display yesterday by chief prosecutor, Gerrie Nel.

Nel branded the Paralympian deceitful during lengthy addresses to the court and set out a list of "lies" told by Pistorius, who he said repeatedly contradicted himself during a weak performance in the witness box.