'I'm scared to sleep', tearful Pistorius tells court

Oscar Pistorius' sister Aimee Pistorius reacts during his trial at the high court in Pretoria April 7, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Obsession with guns

All about Pistorius

The distraught, bespectacled figure was in stark contrast to the gun-obsessed, fast-living hothead that prosecutors had described in the first 16 days of the trial.

As well as murder, Pistorius is accused of firing a pistol through the sun roof of a friend's car while on a public road, and discharging a handgun under the table of a packed Johannesburg restaurant.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Now in its 17th day, the trial has gripped South Africa and millions of fans around the world who have seen in Pistorius a symbol of triumph over physical adversity.

The sprinter's lower legs were amputated as a baby but he went on to achieve global fame as the "Blade Runner", after the slender carbon fibre prosthetic limbs he wears on the track.

After winning gold medals at the Beijing and London Paralympics, he stunned the world by reaching the semifinals of the 400 meters in the London Olympics against able-bodied athletes.

In testimony, Pistorius described his difficult early years as a disabled child before his sporting prowess earned him respect and recognition at school.

He also spoke of the pressures of fame, the toll travelling to athletics meetings took on his family and personal life and of his fears of life in crime-ridden South Africa.

"When we were growing up, we were exposed to crime - house break-ins, family members being assaulted and hijacked," he said. "Many members of my family have been victims of house break-ins and violent crime."

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