Pistorius told 'snowball of lies,' says prosecution

The closing argument by the prosecution in the Oscar Pistorius trial

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been accused of being a "deceitful witness" who told the court a "snowball of lies", at the start of closing arguments in his trial for murder.

Mr Pistorius denies murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

He says he mistook her for an intruder, but the prosecution says he deliberately shot her after a row.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel began his concluding remarks on Thursday, with the defence due to follow on Friday.

Ms Steenkamp was killed at Mr Pistorius' home in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, on 14 February last year.

His long-running trial was adjourned last month ahead of closing arguments.

At the court in Pretoria, Mr Nel began his closing argument by accusing the athlete's lawyers of presenting two lines of defence that "can never be reconciled".

Mr Pistorius said he had fired both involuntarily and also out of fear, Mr Nel argued, insisting the court had to choose only one of his defences.

He said the court "should have no difficulty in rejecting" the athlete's version of events because it was "devoid of any truth".

Mr Pistorius told so many lies in such a short space of time, Mr Nel said, that they had a "snowball effect" and forced him to tell more.

He also attacked Mr Pistorius for presenting himself as "a victim of circumstance."

Mr Pistorius' estranged father, Henke, was in the packed courtroom for the first time during the trial. It was also the first time that Barry Steenkamp, Reeva's father, had attended.

Showdown

The BBC's Karen Allen in Pretoria says Mr Nel is seeking to build a picture of a man who knew the consequences of his actions.

The defence team has sought to portray Mr Pistorius as vulnerable due to his disability and anxious because of his difficult childhood in a country with a high crime rate.

But Mr Nel said the athlete had anxiety "on call", suggesting that he had manufactured a fear of crime to help his defence.

Last month, a psychiatric report said Mr Pistorius had post-traumatic stress disorder but no mental illness that could prevent him being held criminally responsible for his actions.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel went on the offensive once again as he began his closing argument on Thursday

Oscar Pistorius' lawyer, Barry Roux, is expected to present his concluding remarks on Friday

Mr Pistorius and his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp had been dating for three months before the fatal shooting

Judge Thokozile Masipa, a subdued presence in the trial so far, had been expected to intervene more in the closing statements and perhaps provide hints about a future verdict

But the BBC's Africa correspondent, Andrew Harding, says she rarely interjected in Thursday morning's proceedings.

Oscar Pistorius' lawyer, Barry Roux, will give his closing remarks after Mr Nel, in what correspondents say is the final showdown between two of South Africa's top legal minds.

Judge Masipa is expected to adjourn the trial after hearing the arguments to consider her ruling, a process that analysts say will take in between a week to a month.

There is no jury.

If found guilty of murder, the 27-year-old, who went on trial on 3 March, could face life imprisonment.

If he is acquitted of that charge, the court will consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could - if convicted - receive about 15 years in prison.