Pistorius Judge to Render Verdict on Sept. 11

PRETORIA, South Africa -- Oscar Pistorius' legless condition must be taken into account in deciding whether he is guilty of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp because his disability made him vulnerable and heightened his "primal instincts" to defend himself, his lawyer told the court today.

Pistorius' defense team delivered its final arguments today in the Olympian's murder trial. Pistorius, a paralymic champion known as the Blade Runner for his prosthetics, is accused of premeditated murder in Steenkamp's death.

Prosecutors allege that he killed her in a rage after a loud argument, while Pistorius claims he mistook her for an intruder and thought he fired in self-defense when he shot four times through a closed bathroom door.

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Defense lawyer Barry Roux argued today that the court has to take Pistorius' disability into account because a reasonable disabled person could have an increased startle reflex.

"I do not have legs, I cannot run away, I am not the same," Roux said to try and explain Pistorius' decision to go towards the bathroom and confront a perceived intruder rather than escape. Pistorius did not have his prosthetic legs on and was on his stumps when he shot Steenkamp.

Roux also said that Pistorius should have been charged with culpable homicide or manslaughter instead of premeditated murder.

At one point, Roux slapped his hand on the desk in front of him to mimic a sound that Pistorius has said he heard on the night of Steenkamp's death. Such an alarming sound, Roux argued, explains why Pistorius thought an intruder was in his home and that he had to defend himself by opening fire.

Police also mishandled evidence at the house where the shooting happened, Roux said.

"There was no respect for the scene," he said.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel delivered the state's closing arguments Thursday, focusing on what he said were inaccuracies in Pistorius' testimony during the trial, which began March 3 at the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa.

The prosecutor compared the trial to a relay race and said the legless athlete had "dropped the baton of truth."

After today's oral arguments from Roux, it will be up to Judge Thokozile Masipa, along with two legal assistants, to determine the athlete's fate. Pistorius could be sentenced to at least 25 years in prison if found guilty of murder.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.