Murder suspect Oscar Pistorius has been questioned over “scared” text messages sent to his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp during their four-month relationship.

The court in Pretoria heard a series of text messages between the couple which involved arguments over Reeva Steenkamp talking to other men or the couple leaving events early.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel read from one message which said: “I’ve been upset with you for two days now… I’m scared of you sometimes.”

He added: “Why would she be scared of you?”

Pistorius replied: “I think she’s scared of the feelings that she had for me, she says ‘I’m scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you will react to me’.

“I never shouted or screamed at her. It hurt her feelings about the way I would react.”

Mr Nel accused the athlete of “picking on” Miss Steenkamp, including an argument after he moved away from her when she began touching his neck in public and where he told her not to chew gum because “it doesn’t look good on camera”.

He said the phrase “I love you” never appeared in either of their phone messages to each other.

But the 27-year-old insisted his relationship was open and trusting with Miss Steenkamp and said he did not write text messages showing his feelings because he preferred to talk to her.

He said: “I think I was a bit more sensitive and perhaps she was more open to discuss her feelings, my lady.”

Mr Nel claimed Pistorius “did not care enough” to tell Reeva Steenkamp he loved her after she sent a text message expressing her feelings and insisted his relationship was focused on “me, Oscar”.

Oscar Pistorius replied: “I would never want to say those words on a message, I prefer to talk to her.”

The paralympic athlete also told the court in Pretoria he was “terribly sorry” he had taken his girlfriend’s life after he was asked why he had not apologised in person to her family.

He said: “I am terribly sorry that I took the life of their daughter.”

Mr Nel also questioned him over an incident in a restaurant where a gun went off while in his possession.

Pistorius has insisted he did have the handgun went it discharged but denied having his finger on the trigger.

He said: “The firearm was in my possession but I did not pull the trigger. I did not have my finger on the trigger but the firearm was discharged.”

He then told the court he accepted responsibility for the weapon going off and offered to pay for any damages caused to the restaurant.

Mr Nel said: “So the whole table cannot remember you taking the blame. It is amazing that you are the only one that can remember that.”

Pistorius denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

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