As the trial of Oscar Pistorius unfolds, more details of the night of the shooting have come to light.

According to Dr Johan Stipp, a neighbour and radiologist, the Paralympic champion was crouched over his girlfriend model Reeva Steenkamp, weeping and praying for her as she was dying. Dr Stipp told the court on Thursday that when he rushed to the scene after hearing gunshots he saw the athlete "praying to God to please let her live, she must not die".

The double amputee known as the 'blade runner' because of his prosthetic limbs denies intentionally killing Ms Steenkamp in the early hours of February 14, 2013, and claims he mistook her for a burglar. Prosecutors are maintaining that the shooting was premeditated after an argument between the couple. If found guilty he could face life imprisonment.

Stipp said that whilst trying to determine whether Ms Steenkamp could be revived, Oscar cried all the time and in his prayer said that he would "dedicate his life and her life to God if she would just only live and not die that night".

It has been reported that as Dr Stipp was giving his detailed account of the events of that night, Oscar had his hands to his ears, possibly because he could not bear to replay the incident in his mind. In one hand he was clutching what appeared to be black rosary beads.

Pistorius was raised in a Christian household and has previously spoken of his faith, saying God is the "most important person in the world to me" and that "Christ makes all the difference".