A policeman involved in the forensic analysis of the scene where Oscar Pistorius's girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead has told the court that the Paralympian was "emotional".

Colonel Schoombie van Rensburg took to the witness stand on day nine of the athlete's murder trial at the High Court in Pretoria.

Van Rensburg described the scene when he first encountered Pistorius by telling the court: "In the kitchen stood the white accused male, who was later known to me as Pistorius. He was very emotional at that stage, and then I asked him as to what happened, but he didn't answer. He had tears."

Reports have claimed that Van Rensburg later claimed that Pistorius told officers that he thought that the deceased was an intruder and that he shot her.

The policeman was also shown photos of Steenkamp's body while at the stand, where he detailed wounds to the South African model's waist, right arm, left hand and head.

Earlier in court, Pistorius vomited when images of Steenkamp's blood-covered body were accidentally shown to the court.

Pistorius denies murder by maintaining that he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar when he fired four gunshots through a bathroom door at his home in Pretoria on Valentine's Day last year.