Hi °C | Lo °C Barry Roux, the lawyer defending Oscar Pistorius, is a seasoned courtroom performer who offered a masterclass in cross-examination when he attacked police evidence yesterday.
After a slow and forensic start, Mr Roux (pictured) unsettled Warrant Officer Hilton Botha with a barrage of pointed questions. The lawyer made full use of the fact that only six days had elapsed since Reeva Steenkamp's death on Valentine's Day.
Knowing that the police investigation has been rushed, Mr Roux duly brought up example after example of checks they had failed to perform.
At times exasperated, at times condescending, Mr Roux reduced a detective with 24 years' experience to a stuttering wreck.
He repeatedly put it to Mr Botha that the police had found no hard evidence to challenge Mr Pistorius's version of events. Within minutes, the hapless officer was admitting the weaknesses of his case, saying: "I don't have any facts."
Mr Roux gained a breathless following on Twitter, with one fan hailing him as a "genius" and another recommending him for a part in the US legal drama 'Suits'.
Mr Roux was called to the Bar in 1982, In his 31-year career, he has acted for high-profile clients such as Rangers football club director Dave King who was accused of defrauding the South African Revenue Service and Roger Kebble, a mining magnate, on charges of tax evasion.
Described by one commentator as a "very talented and ethical practitioner who will do his best for all his clients", Mr Roux is thought to be earning between €3,500 and €6,300 per day for his defence of Mr Pistorius.
Leaving court yesterday, he modestly claimed that his performance was "nothing special".
(© Daily Telegraph, London)
Irish Independent
