Oscar Pistorius broke down and sobbed uncontrollably as he was cleared of the murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.  In front of a packed room and a worldwide audience, Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa rejected the prosecution's claim that he had killed Steenkamp in a fit of rage.  He was whisked out of the courtroom to a white four-wheel-drive waiting outside, pushing his way through the media scrum.  Judge Masipa abruptly adjourned court proceedings last night (2.30pm South African time) after acquitting him of pre-meditated murder.  She accepted the Blade Runner's version of events - that he had mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder on Valentine's Day, 2013.  Join us today from 5.30pm AEST on 9news.com.au/pistorius for a LIVE stream of the verdict and real-time analysis from court with 9NEWS reporter Tom Steinfort  The Paralympian left court following the adjournment of his trial. (9NEWS)  However, it seems likely Pistorius will be convicted of culpable homicide – equivalent to manslaughter – after Judge Masipa determined his actions were negligent and not those of a reasonable person in the circumstances.  She confirmed she took his disability into her deliberations, before deciding that a reasonable person would have forseen the consequences of his actions.  "Many people in this country have experienced crime or the effects thereof, directly or indirectly, at some time or another," she said.  "Many have been victims of violent crime but they have not resorted to sleeping with firearms under their pillows.  "On the facts of this case I am not persuaded that a reasonable person with the accused's disabilities in the same circumstances would have fired four shots into that small toilet cubicle.  "I am of the view that the accused acted too hastily and used excessive force - it is clear that his conduct was negligent."  Culpable homicide has no set minimum jail term, meaning the Blade Runner may not serve a single day behind bars.  READ MORE: Legal experts shocked at Pistorius ruling  READ MORE: Steenkamp's parents composed as Pistorius found not guilty of murder  READ MORE: Key quotes from the Pistorius ruling  The media scrum outside the courtroom. (9NEWS)  Judge Mapisa had earlier chosen not to convict him of two more severe murder charges, which would have carried anywhere from 15 years’ jail to a life sentence.  "The state clearly has not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of premeditated murder," Judge Masipa said earlier in dismissing the more serious charges.  "Viewed in its totality the evidence failed to establish that the accused had the requisite intention to kill the deceased let alone with premeditation.  Locals and gathered media surrounded the athlete in a packed scrum outside court. (AAP)  "Clearly he did not objectively foresee this as a possibility, that he would kill the person behind the door."  The 27-year-old sat in the dock and buried his head in his hands after the murder charges were dismissed.  Earlier, looking tense, the celebrity sprinter passed through a tunnel of cameras in front of Pretoria's High Court, for the climax of a six-month murder trial that has grabbed headlines worldwide and put the spotlight on the fallen hero's private life.  Judge Masipa began the proceedings with a summary of the charges and recounted Pistorius' and witness testimony to the court.  Pistorius broke down in court today. (9NEWS)  Covering key evidence in the trial, Judge Masipa highlighted a "a number of issues" - including accusations of police contamination of the crime scene - but said these problems had "paled into significance" compared to other evidence submitted.  Throughout the judge's opening remarks, Pistorius was distressed, breaking into tears at one point.  Describing the injuries suffered by Steenkamp, the judge said she believed death would have been almost instant, meaning she would not have been able to scream.  This supports Pistorius' claim that it was his high-pitched scream heard by witnesses on the night of the shooting.  She said the court treated witness testimony with caution, due to the high-profile nature of the case and the fact that the shooting occurred in the middle of the night, potentially affecting their recall of events.  Pistorius leaves court after the adjournment. (AAP)  In an early win for the Blade Runner, the judge used phone records to predominantly agree on his stated timing of events.  However, Judge Masipa also described the defendant as a "poor witness", criticising his differing emotional responses to cross-examination by defence and prosecution lawyers, adding that he was "evasive" throughout the trial.  Both defence and prosecution agreed Pistorius killed the law graduate and model when he fired four shots through a locked toilet door in his upmarket Pretoria home.  The sprinter said he thought he was shooting at an intruder while Steenkamp was safely in bed.  The prosecution says he killed her in a fit of rage after an argument.  The double amputee is also facing a range of weapons and ammunition charges.  Do you have any news photos or videos?
The verdict in the high-profile Oscar Pistorius murder case is set to be handed down from 5.30pm AEST, with Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa having a number of possible verdicts at her disposal.