( CNN ) -- The murder trial of `` Blade Runner '' Oscar Pistorius will now continue until the middle of May , the South African court hearing the case said Sunday . The trial , which enters its fourth week on Monday , will continue until April 4 , then break for a one-week recess before resuming from April 14 until May 16 , the Pretoria court announced in a written statement . It said `` all parties involved '' had agreed to the dates . Pistorius , 27 , admits firing the shots that killed his girlfriend , Reeva Steenkamp , in the early hours of Valentine 's Day last year but has pleaded not guilty to murder , saying he thought she was a burglar and he believed he was acting in self-defense . He fired four shots through the door to the toilet room in his house in the middle of the night , probably killing Steenkmap almost instantly with the shot to the head , according to the autopsy . The trial began on March 3 . After 13 days of hearings , the court has heard only 18 witnesses out of a potential 107 . Prosecutor Gerrie Nel announced unexpectedly on Wednesday that the prosecution expects to rest early next week . Nel has only four or five more witnesses to call , he declared to the shock of the courtroom just before lunch on the 13th day of the trial . He requested and got an adjournment until Monday to consider the state 's position in the case . The surprise move prompted questions about whether Nel was thinking about throwing in the towel , whether he had surprise new evidence to study , or whether the state 's case was simply running ahead of schedule . Intense media interest . Almost the entire trial has been televised , though individual witnesses can choose not to be shown on television . There has been intense media interest in the case in South Africa and beyond . Pistorius first achieved global fame as an outstanding double amputee sprinter who ran with special prostheses that earned him the nickname `` Blade Runner . '' Judge Thokozile Masipa will decide the verdict with the help of two lay people called assessors . South Africa does not have jury trials . In South Africa , premeditated murder carries a mandatory life sentence with a minimum of 25 years . Pistorius also could get five years for each of two unrelated gun indictments and 15 years for a firearms charge he also faces . If he is n't convicted of premeditated murder , the sprinter could face a lesser charge of culpable homicide , a crime based on negligence . The sentence for culpable homicide is at the judge 's discretion . Last week Pistorius said he would sell his home to fund legal costs . The house is where Steenkamp was shot dead . Pistorius has n't returned since her death , according to a statement on his website . READ MORE : Gruesome crime scene photos sicken Pistorius . INTERACTIVE : Explore each side 's case in Pistorius trial . CNN 's Kim Noorgard and Marie-Louise Gumuchian contributed to this report .
Athlete 's trial , which began March 3 , will now run until May 6 . Pistorius shot his girlfriend to death ; the question in court is whether it was intentional . Last week the 27-year - old said he would sell his car to cover legal costs . Judge Thokozile Masipa will decide the verdict ; South Africa does not have jury trials .