(AFP) – Oscar Pistorius broke down in tears in the dock Tuesday, forcing an adjournment in his murder trial, as he recalled the moment he discovered he had shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead.

“I sat over Reeva,” the athlete testified before sobbing loudly, putting his head in his hands and letting out a barely intelligible cry “she wasn’t breathing”.

He had earlier gave harrowing testimony about the moment he shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead on Valentine’s Day 2013, telling his murder trial he believed she was an intruder.

“I heard a noise from inside the toilet, what I perceived to be someone coming out of the toilet,” he said tearfully. “Before I knew it I’d fired four shots at the door.”