Pistorius Trial Hears Texts Between the Couple

As the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius entered its fourth week, the court heard details of text messages between Pistorius and girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. As part of a long WhatsApp chat message between the two, less than three weeks before Pistorius shot and killed Steenkamp, the model wrote "I'm scared of you sometimes, of how you snap at me." The court was also shown a message in which Pistorius complained that Steenkamp had been flirting with other men.

"I was not flirting with anyone today and I feel sick that you suggested that," Steenkamp told Pistorius through instant-messaging service WhatsApp.

"I'm certainly very unhappy and sad," she wrote.

According to police Captain Francois Moller, who downloaded the messages from Steenkamp's phone after she was killed, 90 percent of the chats between Pistorius and Steenkamp were normal and "loving." The remainder, however, painted Pistorius as a jealous and possessive boyfriend, and suggested that Steenkamp was sometimes frightened of her boyfriend.

In another message shown to the court, Pistorius told Steenkamp that his friends were going to take the blame for a shooting incident that happened around a month prior to Steenkamp's murder.

Pistorius admits that he shot dead Steenkamp in the early hours of February 14, 2013, but maintains it was a case of mistaken identity — that he believed her to be an intruder. However, the prosecution has argued that Pistorius intentionally shot his girlfriend following an argument.

Pistorius was sobbing and shaking as the messages were read out in court. The prosecution is expected to wrap up this week, after which it is anticipated that Pistorius himself will take the stand.