A courtroom has been reduced to tears after Reeva Steenkamp's cousin described the moment she learned the model had been shot dead by Oscar Pistorius.
Kim Martin, the first prosecution witness at the athlete's sentencing, said the death of her cousin was the "worst ever experience".
"It was for me, the end of the world," she said.
"It's ruined our whole family. It's ruined Auntie June and Uncle Barry... Reeva was everything to them."
Sky's Alex Crawford, at the High Court in Pretoria, described Ms Martin's face as "a picture of pain" as she laid bare the extent of the family's grief at the death of Ms Steenkamp.
June Steenkamp placed her hand on her husband Barry's shoulder, who also appeared to be crying, as Ms Martin recalled tales of their daughter's childhood.
She also revealed how she and most members of the extended family were either still having trauma counselling and therapy, or were on medication.
Ms Martin said when she asked Ms Steenkamp's parents if it was okay she spoke in court, they gave her their blessing and said: "You must be Reeva's voice."
Crawford said: "She spat out the words through large sobs and tears. There were a large group of people in the courtroom who were crying too. A very harrowing, heartbroken testimony."
Earlier, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said anything but a prison sentence for Pistorius for killing his girlfriend would be "shockingly inappropriate".
He resumed his relentless cross examination of probation officer Annette Vergeer, a defence witness, who on Tuesday told the court Pistorius would be "broken as a person" if he was jailed.
Mr Nel said to place the runner under house arrest and sentence him to community work for three years as she had recommended would be "too light" a punishment.
The prosecutor also raised the prospect of a public backlash if the sentence for the double-amputee Olympian was not harsh enough, saying the court had to guard against people "taking the law into their own hands".
"Our courts and society value human life," he told Ms Vergeer, and asked her: "Don't you think society wants a heavy punishment?
"You're recommending house arrest... but the accused could be allowed to pursue his athletics, train, find a job and go to work and return to his house.
"That this accused be sentenced to three years correctional supervision, with 16 hours a month correctional duties is shockingly inappropriate. It cannot even be considered," Mr Nel said.
Pistorius, 27, was convicted last month for killing Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.
The court heard on Tuesday that Pistorius paid 6,000 rand (£350) per month to the Steenkamps to help them with their rent and living expenses.
He also offered the family 375,000 rand (£21,305) as compensation which Mr Nel said the Steenkamps had rejected as "blood money" - and had decided to hand back the monthly payments.
Defence lawyer Barry Roux told the court the Steenkamps intended to pay back Pistorius "every cent", and also confirmed they would not be pursuing a civil claim against Pistorius for killing their daughter.
Pistorius could receive a fine and a suspended jail sentence or up to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of culpable homicide, the equivalent of manslaughter in the UK.
The sentencing hearing resumes on Thursday.
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