Witness in Pistorius murder trial recalls restaurant shooting incident

PRETORIA, South Africa, March 11 (UPI) -- South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius laughed after firing his gun while driving and was angered about a police stop, a friend said at his murder trial.

Darren Fresco told the court Tuesday about two shooting incidents involving the double-amputee sprinter, one involving firing a gun fired through a car's sunroof and the other in which Fresco said Pistorius asked him to take the blame for gunfire in a restaurant, even though Pistorius was responsible, Canada's Globe and Mail reported.

Prosecutors charge Pistorius deliberately killed his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, when he fired through a closed bathroom door Feb. 14, 2013. Pistorius said he thought he was shooting at an intruder who had hidden in the bathroom.

Pistorius also is charged with firearms violations in the restaurant and sunroof shooting incidents. He has denied those charges.

Fresco testified Pistorius was "furious" when a police officer picked up his 9mm pistol after they were stopped for speeding near Johannesburg in 2012.

"You can't just touch another man's gun," Fresco testified Pistorius told the police officer.

Previous witnesses had described either the restaurant or sunroof incidents, but Fresco is the first witness to testify about both shootings, the Globe and Mail said.

Under questioning by Pistorius' attorney Barry Roux, Fresco was not clear about when the shooting incident in the restaurant occurred or other details about the evening, such as who picked up the tab, the Telegraph reported.

The trial adjourned until Wednesday.