A neighbour of Oscar Pistorius has testified at his murder trial that she heard gunshots as well as screams from a man and a woman on the night the double-amputee runner fatally shot his girlfriend.

The testimony by Anette Stipp matched some of the testimony by other witnesses who have said they also heard a woman screaming around the time Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp before dawn on February 14 last year.

The defence has countered the neighbours were actually hearing Pistorius screaming in a high-pitched voice after he shot Ms Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model. Pistorius has said he shot his girlfriend by mistake through a locked toilet door, thinking she was an intruder in his home.

Mrs Stipp said under questioning from chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel she heard gunshots while lying awake at about 3am on the night of the shooting, and then heard the "terrified, terrified" screams of a woman.

She said she told her husband Johan - who had previously testified - that the screaming sounded as though a "family murder" had taken place.

Mrs Stipp added: "There was definitely a female screaming for quite a period. You could definitely hear two different voices."

She said she then heard a second set of shots and the screaming stopped.

The defence has said Pistorius fired into the door and then battered it with a cricket bat after realising Ms Steenkamp was inside.