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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. 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. Venta Zapatillas Puma Baratas . Behind the talents of rookie Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames will look to keep pace Thursday night when they face the Minnesota Wild in the second of a six-game homestand. Puma Basket Baratas . This week, topics cover the Blue Jays rotation, the futures John Gibbons and Alex Anthopoulos, protecting pitchers and a bonus question on his predictions for the MLB playoffs. http://www.pumabaratas.es/ .com) - Delon Wright scored 17 points and No. Comprar Zapatillas Puma Baratas . Appearing on TSN 1050 on Tuesday, Sean McAdam of Comcast SportsNet New England reported that the Blue Jays, along with a number of other playoff contenders were in the mix for the Boston ace. Zapatillas Puma Baratas . -- Brad Gushue of St.With James Anderson sitting out Englands first Test against Pakistan at Lords on Thursday with a shoulder injury, how might the hosts fare without their senior strike bowler? Despite Anderson being the countrys all-time record wicket-taker, England have won 48 per cent of the 52 Tests theyve played without him since he made his debut in 2003, in comparison to 44 per cent of the 116 he has played in.Perhaps somewhat unfair given Andersons early absences coincided with a very strong England team that won the 2005 Ashes with Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard leading the attack.A fairer reflection would be to look at the eight Tests out of 104 that Anderson has missed since he burst back into the team on tour in New Zealand in 2008. Heres how England coped in those…51 ALL OUT(LOSS v West Indies, Jamaica, February 2009) Ryan Sidebottom was preferred to Anderson in Jamaica Following the sacking of Peter Moores as coach and with Andrew Strauss replacing Kevin Pietersen as captain, England left for a tour to the West Indies in turmoil. Things would get much worse as the tourists crumbled to an innings-and-23-run defeat in the first Test in Jamaica.Anderson was dropped from the team following two low-key performances in the warm-up matches, with Ryan Sidebottom preferred as the swing option. Although Sidebottom went wicketless in his 24 overs, it wasnt the bowling that was the problem - England suffering an embarrassing batting collapse to 51 all out in their second innings.RESTED IN BANGLADESH(WIN v Bangladesh, Chittagong, March 2010)(WIN v Bangladesh, Dhaka, March 2010) Graeme Swann took up the wicket-taking mantle with Anderson rested Anderson was one a number of players rested for the two-Test tour of Bangladesh in early 2010 - captain Strauss also given a breather. It allowed for Steven Finn, Michael Carberry and James Tredwell to make their Test debuts on tour. The under-strength England made light work of the hosts, earning 181-run and nine-wicket wins.Stand-in captain Alastair Cook cracked 173 in the win in Chittagong, with Paul Collingwood notching 145 and Graeme Swann taking 10 wickets in the match to spin the side to success. Things werent quite so simple in Dhaka as Bangladesh tallied 419 in their first innings, but 138 from Ian Bell helped England nudge past that total and a second century on the tour for Cook (109no) saw England chase down 209 to win in the second innings.DILSHAN DOMINATES(DRAW v Sri Lanka, Lords, June 2011) Tillakaratne Dilshan racked up the runs against an Anderson-less attack Tillakaratne Dilshan was the dominant performer as England drew with Sri Lanka in 2011, getting himself onto the Lords honours board with a Test-best 193. Matt Prior (126) and Cook (106) also notched centuries in a high-scoring game.It was in stark contrast to the events of a week before in Cardiff as England bowled out Sri Lanka for 82 inside 25 overs to earn a thrilling final day victory. While Anderson played in that game, a side strain kept him from bowling in the second innings - Swann (4-16) and Chris Tremlett (4-40) doing the damage - and also prevented him from playing at Lords.ddddddddddddTINO BEST BLASTS 95(DRAW v West Indies, Edgbaston, June 2012) Tino Best smashed England for 95 from 112 balls in Birmingham With the series already won 2-0 with one to play, England controversially opted to rest both Anderson (nine wickets at 26.88) and Stuart Broad (14 wickets at 21.71) for the final Test against West Indies at Edgbaston in 2012. When the game got going after much disruption due to rain, Englands attack of Finn, Graeme Onions and Tim Bresnan struggled.Denesh Ramdin responded to criticism from Viv Richards with 107 and a poorly-scrawled sign saying Yea Viv, Talk Nah, while Tino Best struck a then Test-best score by a number 11, with 95 from 112 balls. Ashton Agar would go on to break that record with 98 against an Anderson-led attack at Trent Bridge during the 2013 Ashes.ASHES ABSENCE(WIN v Australia, Trent Bridge, August 2015)(LOSS v Australia, The Oval, August 2015) Oh My Broad! Stuart tore Australia apart at Trent Bridge It would be a further three years until Anderson would next be absent for England - and what a Test to miss! At a venue he loves, Trent Bridge (53 wickets in eight Tests at 19.24), with an Ashes series on the line (England 2-1 up with two to play), Anderson, again suffering from a side-strain, could only watch as a Broad-inspired England skittled Australia for 60 inside 19 overs on a sensational first morning of the fourth Test.Off the back of Broads 8-15, Joe Root struck 130 to give England a healthy lead before Ben Stokes took 6-36 to wrap up a convincing innings-and-78-run win and secure the urn for the hosts. A slight hangover followed at The Oval, with Australia captain Steve Smith striking 143 and leading his side to an innings victory of their own and a consolation win.BOXING DAY WIN IN DURBAN(WIN v South Africa, Durban, December 2015) Moeen Ali put in a man of the match display in Durban Anderson returned for Englands autumn tour of Pakistan, but was again forced out for the first Test in South Africa, struggling with tightness in his right calf. Chris Woakes came in, taking match figures of 1-53, but it was a man-of-the-match effort from Moeen Ali that inspired an emphatic England win by 241 runs.Nick Compton (85) and James Taylor (70) bailed England out of trouble from 49-3 to a score of 303 in their first innings. Moeen and Broad then shared four wickets apiece to give England a near 100-run advantage which Root (73) and Jonny Bairstow (79) added to in the second innings before Moeen spun South Africa out for a second time, finishing with match figures of 7-116. Anderson would return for the second Test in Cape Town and England would go on to claim a 2-1 series win.See how England cope without Anderson - and Mohammad Amirs likely return to Test cricket - by watching their first Test against Pakistan, at Lords, from 10am, Thursday, Sky Sports 2. Also See: Pakistan v England: Story of 2015 Who is Toby Roland-Jones? Bumbles Blog Live cricket on Sky ' ' '