Oscar Pistorius trial: Live updates as Blade Runner's defence team resumes its case following Easter break

Stander confirms he heard no shots or screams on the night Reeva was killed.

The witness says he is 100% sure about what he heard Pistorius say on the phone when he called him after the shooting.

He says he considered Pistorius to be a friend.

Stander takes the court through the route he used to get to Pistorius' house the morning of the shooting.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel now begins his cross examination.  He begins by asking Stander about the incidents of crime he talked about on the estate.

He asks Stander is Silverwoods was a safe place to stay in January 2013. The witness says it's as a safe as a place can be.

Stander says he can recall three incidents of crime on the estate previously.

He says these incidents would be reported to security and discussed at meetings of the management committee.

The witness says he would tell Pistorius about any incidents on the estate,

Stander is asked if he had a chance to observe Pistorius when he was at the house. He says he did, both in and out of the house.

"It's not something I would like to experience again," he says.

"The expression on his face, the expression pf sorrow, of pain. He's crying, he's praying. He's asking God to help him. He was torn apart, broken, desperate. It's difficult to describe.

"His commitment to save the young lady's life. He begged her to stay with him, begged God to keep her alive.

"I saw the truth there that morning. I saw it, and I feel it."

Stander tells the court there was soon a lot of vehicles parked outside the house, with some in police uniform and some not, going up and down the steps to the house.

The police then took over the scene.

Stander says the ambulance arrived shortly after that, and they declared Reeva dead.

Reeva's mum June is being comforted in the court room as she listens to this evidence.

Stander says Stipp told him he heard four shots, screams, and then four shots again.

Stander says Oscar went upstairs at this point to collect Reeva's ID for the paramedics, but he was called back.

Stander says they tried to calm Pistorius down.

"He was broken; he was screaming; he was crying; he was praying."

He says he told Pistorius he was going to call an ambulance, and while he was doing this a gentleman came walking towards me.

This was Pistorius' neighbour Dr Stipp.

When Pistorius saw them, "it was relief on his face", says Stander.

He was crying, "he was really crying, he was in pain, he asked us to please assist him to put Reeva in the car and take her to the hospital".

Oldwadge tells the witness that if he is emotional, to take his time.

As Stander was leaving, his daughter came out of her room and said she had heard someone screaming for help.

Stander and his daughter went to Pistorius' house, and they saw Pistorius coming down the stairs with Reeva in his arms.

"I could see she had a head wound," he says.

Stander says he used to go over to Pistorius' house to feed his dogs when the athlete was competing overseas.

Oldwadge asks him to, "step by step", explain to the court what happened in the early hours of February 14 2013.

He says he received a phone call at around 3.19am from Pistorius.

Stander says he told him: "Please, please, please come to my house. I shot Reeva. I thought she was an intruder. Please, please come quick."

Stander is talking about the statements he gave to police following Reeva Steenkamp's death.

He says he had a consultation with the prosecution in December 2013, and said he was going to be a state witness.

He was not called by the prosecution, and Mr Oldwadge asks him why.

Stander says he was told the prosecution would only call him or his daughter, although in fact neither gave evidence for the prosecution.

Proceedings are beginning in the court room.

Member of the defence team, Kenny Oldwadge, calls Johan Stander to the witness box.

Stander is the estate manager where Pistorius was living at the time of the shooting.

Stander says he first met Pistorius when he moved into his house in 2009.

Pistorius is said to have arrived in court this morning, carrying a handful of letters from supporters and well-wishers.

Johan Stander is also in the court room, suggesting he will be the next person in the witness box.

There could be as many as 11 witnesses still to come in the defence, before Judge Thokozile Masipa begins to consider her verdict.

But when she does, there are a number of key questions at the heart of the case which she will have to get to the bottom of.

We've taken a look at the main issues the verdict will depend on.

Journalists in the court room in Pretoria say among the witnesses expected to be called today is Johan Stander, the administrator of the estate where Pistorius lived, and the fatal shooting happened.

Mr Stander was the first person Pistorius called after the shooting, and one of the first people on the scene.

He is expected to say that the athlete told him straight away that he had mistaken Reeva for an intruder.

Another expert - a psychologist - may also be called to talk about how vulnerable he feels as a disabled person.

While giving evidence Pistorius told the court that he had been a victim of crime in the past, but did not have confidence in the police to do anything about the crimes so never reported them.       

Already we have heard some of his high-pitched wailing in court when he has become emotional under questioning.

The athlete is accused of intentionally killing Reeva on Valentine's Day last year along with other gun charges and illegal possession of ammunition. He denies all charges and says he mistook Reeva for an intruder.

The athlete's trial over the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp adjourned over two weeks ago for Easter .

One of the key points that Pistorius's team has been keen to put across is that his screams sound like that of a woman when he is anxious.