PRETORIA, South Africa -- The first witness in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial testified Monday to hearing a womans "blood-curdling" screams before the sound of four gunshots on the night the double-amputee Olympian killed his girlfriend. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Store . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. Pistorius says he killed Steenkamp by mistake thinking she was a dangerous intruder in his house, but prosecutors believe the world-famous athlete shot his girlfriend after a fight and immediately tried to paint a picture at the trial of a loud argument before the fatal shots. Burgers testimony contradicts Pistorius version of events, because he said he thought Steenkamp was in bed and he did not describe any woman screaming. "It was very traumatic," Burger said, speaking in Afrikaans through an interpreter and in answer to questions from lead prosecutor Gerrie Nel. "You could hear it was blood-curdling screams. You cant translate it into words. The anxiousness in her voice, and fear. It leaves you cold." Burger said: "She screamed terribly and she yelled for help" and testified that she also heard a man shout for help before the shots were fired. Pistorius lawyer, Barry Roux, opened his cross-examination by asking Burger if she thought Pistorius was a liar. She didnt directly answer that with a yes or no, but repeated her recollection of the nights events. "I can only tell the court what I heard that evening," Burger said. "I cannot understand how I could clearly hear a woman scream but Mr. Pistorius could not hear it." But Roux argued she had changed her testimony from the written statement she gave to police soon after the shooting, only adding "blood-curdling" as a description of the screams in court. Pistorius earlier pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial to charges of murder and three other counts relating to shooting guns in public and illegal possession of ammunition. Wearing a dark grey suit and black tie, he spent the first 30 minutes of the first day of the trial at the high court in the South African capital standing before his defence lawyer, Barry Roux, asked the judge for permission for Pistorius to sit. The Olympians murder trial was being broadcast live on TV in South Africa and across the world. The first witness, Burger, was called before even an hour had passed as the prosecution went straight into testimony. The trial itself started 90 minutes late after an earlier delay because of an interpreter problem. When he entered court, Pistorius walked past the victims mother who says she came to court so she can "really look him in the eyes." Defence lawyer Kenny Oldwadge laid out Pistorius legal strategy, reading a statement from Pistorius in which he says the killing was an accident and that there were inconsistencies in the states case, as well as an attempt to introduce inadmissible character evidence to discredit him. In the statement, Pistorius said he brought two fans in from the balcony on the night of the killing, after speaking to his girlfriend who was in bed beside him. He said Steenkamp must have gone into the bathroom while he was fetching the fans. Pistorius said he did not notice that she had gone and heard the bathroom window open. "I approached the bathroom, armed with my firearm, so as to defend Reeva and I," Pistorius said in the statement. He said he then heard a noise in the toilet, and was in a "fearful state" because he was unable to run away or defend himself physically since he was not wearing his prosthetic legs. "The state has embarked on a strategy to rely on unsubstantiated allegations," he said, citing a neighbours testimony that an argument had been heard in his home. According to Pistorius statement, other neighbours living nearby said they had not heard any argument. He also cited evidence provided by police detective Hilton Botha as "false in material respects." In the courtroom, Pistorius was seated near Steenkamps mother, June. She was quoted in the Pretoria News, which published an interview she gave to a British newspaper, saying that she wants to see Pistorius. "I want to look at Oscar, really look him in the eyes, and see for myself the truth about what he did to Reeva," said June Steenkamp, 67. "Whatever the court decides at the end of his trial, I will be ready to forgive him ... But first I want to force him to look at me, Reevas mother, and see the pain and anguish he has inflicted on me. I feel I need that." Reeva Steenkamp was a glamorous model and budding reality TV show star when she was cut down at age 29. Earlier, a drone carrying cameras flew over the entrance to the courthouse in grey, drizzly skies. Several broadcasters massed live broadcast satellite trucks around the courthouse. A 24-hour cable channel devoted to covering the trial was launched in South Africa on Sunday. If convicted on the murder charge, Pistorius could be sent to prison for at least 25 years before the chance of parole, the minimum time someone must serve if given a life sentence in South Africa. South Africa does not have the death penalty. A lesser sentence is possible if Pistorius is found guilty of murder but without premeditation. He also could be convicted of culpable homicide, South Africas version of manslaughter in which someone is killed through negligence. The additional firearms charges relate to him allegedly shooting out of the sunroof of a car in one incident and another when he allegedly fired a gun inside a restaurant, apparently by mistake. Ammunition also was found at his house after the shooting that he allegedly did not have proper licensing for. Judge Thokozile Masipa, hearing the biggest trial of her career, will ultimately pronounce the champion runner innocent or guilty and will decide on any sentence. South Africa has no trial by jury. Parts of the trial will be broadcast on live television, both in South Africa and across the world. A South African cable channel has been launched which will provide 24-hour coverage of the Pistorius trial, using commentators and prepared feature stories when the court is not in session. Soccer Jerseys Outlet .com) - Real Madrid claimed its 16th consecutive victory across all competitions on Saturday after earning a 2-1 win over Malaga at the Estadio La Rosaleda. Soccer Jerseys For Sale ." Bach is in Rome for the European Olympic Committees general assembly and meetings with Pope Francis. He also visited with Italian Premier Enrico Letta. "The prime minister appeared to be interested in a bid from Italy for 24, because he has realized that the games can serve as a catalyst for development for a city and a country," Bach told The Associated Press on Saturday. http://www.cheapsoccerjerseys.co/ . Rinehart joins safety Darrell Stuckey and linebacker Donald Butler as potential unrestricted free agents who are remaining with the team.PHILADELPHIA -- Motivated by a lopsided loss to the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Philadelphia Flyers ignored fatigue and rebounded nicely. Michael Raffl and Claude Giroux scored goals, Steve Mason made 20 saves, and the Flyers beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Thursday night. Jakub Voracek had two assists, and Giroux also had an assist to help the Flyers snap a three-game losing streak and extend their home winning streak to six games. They were coming off a 2-3-1 trip in which they finished 0-2-1, including a 7-2 loss at Chicago on Wednesday night. "Its good to see we can put things behind us and move on," Giroux said. "Guys were pretty excited to play home again. Our fans give us a boost. That was one of our best 60-minute performances." Mason shut out the Canadiens for 59 minutes before Alex Galchenyuk scored with 55.1 seconds left to cut it to 2-1. The Canadiens have lost two in a row after going 9-0-1. They followed a 6-0 loss at home to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday with another offensive clunker. "We were definitely slow in the first," captain Brian Gionta said. "Its tough when you start late to try and get back into the game. We made a good push, but it was just a little too late." The Flyers didnt show any ill effects from a 13-day trip. Despite playing three games in four nights, they looked fresh from the start. "I was happy with the way we skated," coach Craig Berube said. "You never know after a long trip how youre going to be. They were ready to go. I think theres a lot of character in the room. They werent happy about the loss in Chicago because they wanted to show they can play with that team." Raffl gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead in the first period with his second NHL goal. Voracek set it up with a perfect pass from behind the net to Raffl in the slot. He wriisted a shot over goalie Carey Prices glove into the top corner. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Free Shipping. Raffl didnt score in his first 17 games, but has two goals in three games this week. "I know when he has the puck, hes going to protect it and find me. I just have to be open," Raffl said of Voracek. Another crisp pass from Voracek set up Philadelphias second goal. Brayden Schenn took the puck up the middle, and he passed it to Voracek skating down the left side. Voracek sent a crossing pass to Giroux coming down the right wing, and he beat Price with a slap shot. Danny Briere, a fan favourite during six seasons with the Flyers, returned to Philadelphia for the first time since his contract was bought out last July. Briere got a standing ovation during a video tribute in the first period and he waved to the crowd from the bench. "It was weird playing against Danny," Giroux said. "Me and Danny are pretty close. We lived together. Hes one of my good friends. But on the ice, its a different story." The Canadiens had a goal disallowed in the third period because Gionta pushed it in with his hand while sliding headfirst into the crease. "I am very disappointed. Disappointing performance, honestly," Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. "I thought especially with the game we played at home, I thought we were going to be on fire, and I am disappointed." NOTES: Mason had 10 shutouts for Columbus when he was the NHLs top rookie in the 2008-09 season, and 10 more in the last five seasons. ... The Flyers scored first for the fourth game in a row. They were 0-2-1 in the other three. ... Giroux has five goals in 13 games after getting one in the first 19. ... Canadiens D Alexei Emelin was ejected for elbowing Steve Downie late in the second period. ... Canadiens lost consecutive games in regulation for the first time since Nov. 1-2. ' ' '