June Steenkamp arrives at court for the first day of the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius, who killed her daughter Reeva Steenkamp
June Steenkamp has looked straight in to the eyes of Oscar Pistorius in court, as he stands trial for killing Reeva Steenkamp Reuters

June Steenkamp revealed she must stare down Oscar Pistorius in court because of her pain over the "terrible" violent death of her daughter Reeva.

Steenkamp also expressed her fear that the Bladerunner's trial will not fully expose what really happened on Valentine's Day last year, when he gunned down Reeva, 29.

Speaking to ITV News, Steenkamp said she got a seat in a prominent position at the public gallery of North Gauteng High Court to make sure Pistorius, 27, could not miss her as he walked to his spot in the dock.

A visibly emotional Steenkamp said: "I wanted to see him and for him to see me. I just felt that I had to do that. But he didn't look at me or anything. He just walked straight and looked ahead.

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"The whole point was that he must see me there. I'm her mother and what happened to her was terrible [...] I wanted him to see me there, that I'm there representing Reeva."

Pistorius is accused of murdering Steenkamp following an argument between the pair, which he denies. The disabled runner claims he thought she was an intruder in the bathroom of his luxury home in a gated complex on the outskirts of Pretoria.

On day one of Pistorius's trial, Steenkamp listened to witness Michelle Burger tell the court of hearing Reeva's "bloodcurdling screams" on the night she died.

Steenkamp told ITV News the most important thing was the truth, but revealed her fear that it might not come out at the trial. "We just want the truth. We want to know the truth. Whether it will come out, we don't know.

What are my expectations? I'm just expect the truth will come out. I'm hoping the truth will come out, whatever it may be."