Pistorius Pleads Not Guilty in Murder Trial

(ATR) South African Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius is charged with shooting dead the 29-year-old model and reality TV star at his home in February last year.

The 27-year-old double amputee, who has won six Paralympic golds including two at the London 2012 Games, entered a not guilty plea and also pleaded not guilty to several other firearms charges at the start of his trial in a Pretoria court on Monday.

The trial got off to a dramatic start, with Pistorius' neighbour Michelle Burger telling the court how she heard "bloodcurdling screams" from a woman followed by four gunshots.

"She screamed terribly and she yelled for help. Then I also heard a man screaming for help. Three times he yelled for help," Burger told the court, speaking in Afrikaans through an interpreter, adding that she called the private security firm managing their housing estate before hearing the shots.

"Just after her screams, I heard four shots. Four gun-shots," she said. "Bang ... bang, bang, bang," she was quoted as saying by Reuters. "It was very traumatic for me. You could hear that it was bloodcurdling screams."

Pistorius, who runs on carbon-fibre "blades"and is nicknamed the 'Blade Runner', maintains that Steenkamp's killing was an accident. He claims he mistook her for an intruder.

The trial continues Tuesday. Scheduled to run for three weeks, it is being broadcast live on television, a first for South Africa.

Written by Mark Bisson.

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.