Court hears details of Reeva Steenkamp's last meal

A post mortem report revealed that not much liquid was found in Reeva Steenkamp's bladder after she was shot dead, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Monday.

It was about a teaspoon-full, said Professor Gert Saayman, who had conducted the autopsy on Steenkamp a day after she was shot and killed by her boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius.

Saayman said about 200ml of partially digested food, mainly vegetables with whitish cheese-like particles were found in Steenkamp's stomach.

Steenkamp had eaten about two hours prior to her death.

Saayman examined her after the fatal shooting at his Pretoria home in the early hours of Valentine's Day in 2013.

Witnesses have testified they heard screams and shots from the direction of his home after 3am.

He has admitted that he shot four times and killed the law graduate and model through the closed door of a toilet cubicle in his bathroom.

He said he thought there was an intruder in the house and has pleaded not guilty to murder, which the State alleges was premeditated and during an argument.

Saayman gave a lengthy explanation of the factors that affect a conclusion on a last meal.

He said digestion time depended on the type of food eaten, with proteins taking the longest and leaving the stomach slowly, carbohydrates taking less time, and fluids passing through quickly.

The volume of food also affected this.

A small volume such as a light meal or snack, would probably be emptied from the stomach within 90 to 180 mins completely.

A more substantial medium meal takes 2 to 4 hours and a big meal of 1.5kg or more may remain in the stomach for as long as six hours.

Gastric emptying stopped when a person died, he said, and the food in the stomach remained there.

Saayman said no abnormalities were found in her stomach.

Her heart, however, just like her liver, was pale in colour as a result of blood loss, said Saayman.

Earlier, he told the court of head, hip and hand injuries Steenkamp suffered.

There was bruising on her buttocks, nipple and back.

Pistorius continued to retch amid proceedings, sitting with his head bowed down in the dock..

His sister Aimee, wiped tears from her eyes.