PRETORIA: A tearful Oscar Pistorius apologized Monday to Reeva Steenkamp’s family, telling the court he had “terrible nightmares” since the night he killed his girlfriend and often woke up smelling blood.

Stammering and with his jaw trembling as he took the witness stand in his defense, Pistorius said he did not intend to kill his 29-year-old lover.

The Paralympic gold medallist is accused of premeditated murder, but claims he shot the model though a locked toilet door believing she was an intruder.

“I want to take this opportunity to apologize to Mr.and Mrs.Steenkamp,” he said, at times barely audible as he sobbed.

Pistorius said he was “trying to protect Reeva” on Valentine’s Day last year. “I can promise that when she went to bed that night she felt loved,” he said.

In the tribunal Steenkamp’s mother June, flanked by other relatives, stared at him stony-faced during the apology.

She has for weeks sat through gruesome evidence, including brutal images of her dead daughter.

“I tried to put my words on paper to write to you but no words can ever suffice,” Pistorius continued.

The athlete cut a broken and emotional figure as he spoke publicly for the first time about events on the fateful Valentine’s Day Steenkamp died.

“I’ve had terrible nightmares,” he said since the night of the shooting, adding: “I wake up at night smelling blood.”

He also said that since the shooting he has taken sleeping pills and anti-depressants.

Pistorius told the court that on one occasion after waking in the middle of the night he crawled into a cupboard because he was so scared.