PRETORIA, South Africa -- Using witness accounts of a panicked nighttime phone call from Oscar Pistorius begging for help and his desperate pleas for Reeva Steenkamp to stay alive, the defence at his murder trial tried to reinforce its case Monday that the double-amputee Olympian fatally shot his girlfriend in a tragic error of judgment. Johan Stander and his daughter Carice Viljoen, neighbours and friends of Pistorius, testified that they were at the runners villa soon after the shooting on Feb. 14, 2013 and that Pistorius was praying, trying to help Steenkamp breathe and urging her to live. Viljoen testified that Pistorius was saying to Steenkamp as she lay on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds: "Stay with me, my love, stay with me." The world-famous disabled runner had shot four times through a toilet cubicle door with his 9 mm pistol minutes earlier, hitting Steenkamp in the hip, arm and head. He claims he thought she was a dangerous intruder in the cubicle in his darkened bathroom. Prosecutors maintain Pistorius, 27, is lying about the perceived trespasser, and his story is designed to cover up that he killed the 29-year-old model intentionally in the midst of a heated argument. The first amputee to run at the Olympics in 2012, Pistorius faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of a premeditated murder charge. The testimonies from the neighbours began the seventh week of proceedings in the globally televised trial, which resumed after a two-week recess. Stander testified that Pistorius phoned him at around 3:19 a.m. -- about two minutes after the shooting. Pistorius told him he had thought Steenkamp was an intruder and shot her, Stander testified, and Stander and his daughter went to Pistorius house after the world-famous runner pleaded for him to come and help. "I saw the truth there that morning. I saw it and I feel it," Stander testified, saying he believed that the shooting was accidental because of Pistorius desperation when they found him carrying a bloodied Steenkamp downstairs from the upstairs bathroom. Pistorius was "really crying. He was in pain," Stander said. Standers own voice shook at one point and he became emotional as he described Pistorius state. "He was torn apart, broken, desperate, pleading," Stander said. "Its difficult really to describe." The defence was trying to underline its scenario that Pistorius was emotionally distressed after shooting Steenkamp by mistake. Pistorius lawyers were also trying to regain some momentum after chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel put Pistorius under intense pressure during the runners own testimony, which appeared to show some inconsistencies in his story. The prosecution has preferred to focus on events before the killing -- and not Pistorius demeanour afterward -- to try and show that his version is a fabrication, including that he never attempted to locate Steenkamp despite knowing she was awake before walking to the bathroom on his stumps and firing through the toilet door. Pistorius slumped forward in the Pretoria courtroom Monday with his head in his hands as details of what may have been Steenkamps last moments alive were discussed. Cross-examining Stander, Nel questioned if he was a good friend of Pistorius and therefore trying to "assist" the defence. Stander said he had known Pistorius since 2009 and looked after his home and dogs when he was away. Nel asked if the friendship led him to back Pistorius story. Stander said he also knew Steenkamp. "Im here to give the truth," Stander said. "And I think Ive given the truth, what I saw that morning." Nels manner in cross-examining both Stander and Viljoen was relatively subdued in contrast to his aggressive questioning during his five-day questioning of Pistorius, and of two expert witnesses for the defence. Stander earlier recounted the telephone call from Pistorius that woke him up in the pre-dawn hours of Valentines Day. "He (Pistorius) said on the call, Johan, please, please, please come to my house. Please. I shot Reeva. I thought she was an intruder. Please come quick," Stander said. Viljoen testified that when they arrived at the house, Pistorius begged her to help him get Steenkamp into a car so they could take her to a hospital. Viljoen said she urged Pistorius to "just put her down" so they could try and stop the bleeding. As Viljoen spoke, her voice broke and she became tearful. "I just saw blood everywhere," she said. Her father stepped outside to telephone an ambulance, Viljoen said, and she went upstairs to fetch towels to stop the bleeding. Pistorius was pleading for Steenkamp to stay alive, she said. "He kept on egging Reeva to just stay with him," she testified. Chandler Jones Jersey . Anything less than gold for either nation is considered a disappointment. Yet for Switzerland, advancing to the semifinal might be a victory in itself. Pat Tillman Jersey .Y. - The New York Yankees made it official Saturday, announcing the completion of a seven-year deal with free-agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and a one-year contract for returning starter Hiroki Kuroda. http://www.officialarizonacardinalspro.c...rdinals-jersey/. Mike Babcock has turned to the Montreal Canadiens goalie over Roberto Luongo, who backed Canada to a gold medal in Vancouver in 2010, for Canadas final preliminary round game against the ailing Finns. Arizona Cardinals Jerseys . Lisicki beat South African Chanelle Scheepers by a 7-5, 7-6 (7-1) margin. 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I realize the ref was damned if did and damned if not! What is your take on this. Cheers! Ray Bungay ----- Kerry: In the Toronto - Montreal game, there was a penalty handed to Bernier of Toronto for Delay of game for coming out of his net and smothering the puck with a Montreal player right there. This seems an unusual if not unnecessary call, given it was in the overtime. I have never seen this before. What is the basis for the call? Your views would be helpful. Ted Baskerville ----- Hi Kerry,The Leafs Habs game Saturday night, the overtime penalty assessed to Bernier. I have seen many goalies cover the puck well outside their crease, I asked a goalie friend of mine and he said he was taught as long as the goalie can reach or has some part of himself in the crease it can be covered outside of the crease. Is this a rule? I believe Bernier was still in the crease when he dove at the puck then slid for another couple of feet. Was that the right call or am I just another bitter Leafs fan. Thanks,Chris Stevens Brad, Ray, Ted and Chris: I dont want to add fuel to the "bitterness" some Leafs fans might feel or even demonstrate on occasion but the delay of game penalty that Jonathan Bernier was assessed in the overtime loss to the Canadiens on Saturday was a must call for the referee to make regardless of the score or the time remaining in the game! In every case, when a goalkeeper skates out of his net and covers on a loose puck that far from his crease a delay of game penalty should be assessed as per the rule. This infraction committed by thhe goalkeeper should applied with the same consistency as the puck over glass rule that we saw called against Peter Budaj (8:31 of first period) and Phil Kessel with just 31 seconds remaining in regulation time.dddddddddddd From Rule 63.2: A minor penalty shall be imposed on any player, including the goalkeeper, who holds, freezes or plays the puck with his stick, skates or body in such a manner as to deliberately cause a stoppage of play. With regard to a goalkeeper, this rule applies outside of his goal crease area. If a goalkeeper comes out of his crease to "cut down the angle" on a shot and after making the save covers the puck, this shall be legal. If the goalkeeper races out of his crease in an attempt to beat the attacking player to the puck and instead of playing the puck jumps on the puck causing a stoppage of play, this shall be a minor penalty for delay of game. The long stretch pass that PK Subban fired near the Habs goal line was too hot for Daniel Briere to handle cleanly at the Leafs blue line and created a race for a loose puck with Bernier on the potential scoring opportunity. A scoring opportunity was clearly eliminated when Bernier got to the puck first and covered it with his glove to cause a stoppage in play as opposed to legally playing the puck with his goal stick. The referee whistled the play dead and raised his arms in an upward fashion but did not immediately or emphatically signal a penalty to Bernier as he should have. A slower, perhaps methodical response by the ref was evident in both the camera shot and the minute of run-on commentary by the broadcasters before it became evident to them that a penalty to Bernier had been assessed. While you have never seen this penalty called Ted, I can assure you that I personally assessed it a number of times during my 30-year NHL officiating career. Whenever I had the occasion to make this call I did so immediately with an emphatic signal so there was no doubt or confusion in anyones mind that a penalty was assessed to the goalkeeper in this unique situation. Jonathan Bernier clearly violated rule 63.2 at 3:14 of the overtime period. The correct call was made by the referee and resulted in Max Paciorettys eventual power play game-winning goal. 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