[Magdalen] Pistorius Trial.

[Roger Stokes]

On 12/09/2014 18:08, Sally Davies wrote:
> Perhaps in countries like the UK, where regional accents vary extensively,
> people just get used to following these different accents?

There are some that are pretty impenetrable even to Brits. Glaswegian is 
a prime example while Birmingham (Brummy) can be a bit tough as well.

> To us as South
> Africans Aussies and New Zealanders sound nothing like us, but when I first
> went to the UK people would often enquire whether I came from Down Under,
> or even from Canada.

To my ear the Canadian accent is far less marked than the Aussie one.  I 
agree that the South African accent can be more marked still.  Having 
said that we need to recognize that even within a country the strength 
of an accent will vary from individual to individual.

> I'm weary of the Oscar trial now but suspect we may not be done with it as
> the State is not going to like this verdict. The Director of Public
> Prosecutions has been in court which has me wondering if they're going to
> appeal.

I have heard they are waiting for the sentence before making a 
decision.  That sort of appeal is something we don't have here.  If a 
person is acquitted then that is it, apart from in recent years it is 
now possible to have a second trial of a serious offence if new and 
compelling evidence comes to light after the first trial.  From what I 
understand the prosecution was deemed to have failed to prove intent 
beyond reasonable doubt.

> I don't like the verdict myself because according to me if someone
> loads a gun with that type of ammunition, they're already intending to kill
> someone.

Quite.

Roger