Oscar Pistorius broke down in tears at his murder trial Tuesday as he read out loving text messages between himself and slain girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The double-amputee Olympic runner cried and blew his nose as he explained how the couple would send each other smiley faces and kisses on WhatsApp calling each other “boo,” “baba” and “babycakes.”
The messages were in contrast to earlier testimony to arguments the couple had. Pistorius admitted behaving in a “jealous” way after she spoke to a male friend at a party.
The athlete held his head in his hands as he flicked through dozens of everyday messages between the lovers which were shown to court as evidence. “I’m missing you so, so much,” he wrote to the model in January.
The court heard that Pistorius had sent a message asking Steenkamp not to drive alone at night. “I didn’t want Reeva to drive alone at night, it’s not safe,” he explained to the High Court in Pretoria.
The exchanges told of a celebrity couple lifestyle in which they struggled with busy schedules, travel plans and strict diets.
Steenkamp sent the athlete a message in which she complained of “sick people” who sent her hate mail because of the couple’s relationship.
“Baba, I’m the luckiest guy ever,” he wrote to Steenkamp.
She joked to him that if their lives went wrong and had no money they could just “run away,” adding: “I’ll still look after you.”
“Haha, thank you you’re amazing,” he replied.
After she attended a celebrity event, she wrote to him: “I wish you were here, too. I’d be proud to be on your arm.”
“I sent her some kisses back,” Pistorius told the court, reading out his message to her that said: “You look amazeballs.”
Pistorius said the court that Steenkamp regularly met her ex-boyfriend, which whom she had "a very good relationship."
In one message, Pistorius urged her to "go see him" to collect her post from his house.
The sprinter is accused of premeditated murder after shooting Steenkamp, 29, through a bathroom door on Feb. 14, 2013. Pistorius insists he thought she was an intruder when he opened fire.
The trial continues.