Oscar Pistorius, feeling vulnerable and anxious, snapped like an abused woman the night he killed Reeva Steenkamp, his lawyer has said in closing arguments at the double amputee sprinter's murder trial. 
 
 Barry Roux, the lead defence lawyer, told the court that Pistorius suffers from the "slow burn" of a lifetime of insecurity due to his disability, comparing his anxiety to that of a woman who snaps and kills her partner after years of abuse. 
 
 Throughout the trial, Mr Roux has sought to portray Pistorius as a vulnerable man obsessed with safety in a country with a high crime rate. The defence argues that he accidentally shot four times through a lavatory door because he thought there was an intruder, heard a noise and was "startled". 
 
 "You have the effect of the slow burn of insecurities over many years. You're an athlete. You're trained to react to a sound, and he stands there now with his finger ready to fire, and then," Mr Roux said, before banging the wooden lectern in front of him to make a startling sound. 
 
 Mr Roux, responding to state prosecutor Gerrie Nel's closing argument Thursday, admitted that Pistorius had been argumentative as a witness. 
 
 In an about-turn, he also said the 27-year-old athlete was guilty of negligence for discharging a gun in a crowded Johannesburg restaurant. 
 
 Pistorius had pleaded not guilty to the charge. 
 
 But, Mr Roux maintained, Pistorius did not intentionally kill Reeva Steenkamp when he shot her dead last Valentine's Day. 
 
 Judge Thokozile Masipa, who has previously given long sentences to men found guilty of killing their partners, asked Mr Roux what he meant by the "slow burn" and abused woman comparison, asking: "How does it apply to the accused in this case?" 
 
 "That constant reminder, I do not have legs, I can not run away, I am not the same, that's with him, he can't pretend, he can't pretend that it's fine," Mr Roux replied. 
 
 "The effect of that over time, it filled the cup to the brim," said Roux, who said that when Pistorius is startled, a fight response takes over. "That fight one is exaggerated because over time it develops, because there is no flight." 
 
 Closing arguments in the trial, which began March 3, are slated to wrap up today. Judge Masipa is expected to announce a date for a verdict in the case. ||||| Oscar Pistorius sits in court during his trial, in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The chief defense lawyer for Pistorius delivered final arguments in the athlete's trial on Friday, alleging... (Associated Press) 
 
 Oscar Pistorius, left, walks past Barry Steenkamp, the father of Reeva Steenkamp, right, during his trial, in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The chief defense lawyer for Pistorius delivered... (Associated Press) 
 
 Henk Pistorius, the father of Oscar Pistorius, sits in court during his son's trial, in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The chief defense lawyer for Pistorius delivered final arguments in... (Associated Press) 
 
 Oscar Pistorius, left, sits in court during his trial, in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The chief defense lawyer for Pistorius delivered final arguments in the athlete's trial on Friday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Oscar Pistorius, left, towards the parents of the late Reeva Steenkamp, June, second from right and Barry Steenkamp, right, on his arrival at court for his murder trial, in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Oscar Pistorius, gestures, as he sits in court, during his trial in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The chief defense lawyer for Oscar Pistorius delivered final arguments in the athlete's... (Associated Press) 
 
 Oscar Pistorius, left, speaks with a member of his legal team, Brian Webber, right, in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The chief defense lawyer for Oscar Pistorius delivered final arguments... (Associated Press) 
 
 Family members of Oscar Pistorius, left to right, sister Aimee Pistorius, aunt Lois and uncle Arnold Pistorius sit in court, during his trial, in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The chief... (Associated Press) 
 
 Oscar Pistorius, left, gets a hug from his estranged father Henk Pistorius, right, in court at his murder trial in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The chief defense lawyer for Oscar Pistorius,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Parents of the late Reeva Steenkamp, June, left, and Barry Steenkamp, right, attend the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. Final arguments by the defense... (Associated Press) 
 
 Oscar Pistorius, pauses in court, during his trial, in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The chief defense lawyer for Oscar Pistorius delivered final arguments in the athlete's murder trial... (Associated Press) 
 
 Chief defense lawyer for Oscar Pistorius, Barry Roux, addresses the court, in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The chief defense lawyer for Oscar Pistorius delivered final arguments in the... (Associated Press) 
 
 Chief defense lawyer for Oscar Pistorius, Barry Roux, addresses the court, in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. In his final arguments Roux alleges that Pistorius thought he was in danger... (Associated Press)
– Oscar Pistorius will know next month whether he's going to prison for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Closing arguments finished today, and Judge Thokozile Masipa said she would announce her verdict on Sept. 11, the AP reports. After prosecutor Gerrie Nel ripped into the defense's case yesterday, Pistorius' lawyer took to the floor today to describe the double-amputee athlete as vulnerable and insecure because of his lifelong disability. Attorney Barry Roux went so far as to compare him to a wife who kills her partner after years of abuse, reports the Telegraph. The "slow burn of insecurities," paired with his athletic training, caused him to snap when he felt his life was in danger, said Roux. Prosecutors are pushing for 25 years to life for premeditated murder, though the judge has a range of lesser penalties at her disposal, along with exoneration. Roux also said that Pistorius' behavior following the shooting—including calling for help—shows that it was a tragic mistake, not a murder. As for his poor memory on the stand? Roux linked it to Pistorius' "severe depression." And though the prosecution argued Steenkamp's stomach contents indicated the couple stayed up arguing after Pistorius said they went to bed, Roux said the judge "cannot exclude" the possibility that Steenkamp woke up for a late-night snack. He also said that a security guard who passed Pistorius' house and heard no argument when the prosecution said it took place is "fatal to the state's case." Roux did, however, admit Pistorius is guilty of a gun charge related to an incident at a Johannesburg restaurant.