Boston Survivor To Accused: You Saved My Life

A survivor of the Boston marathon blasts has told the alleged bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: "You saved my life."

Rebekah Gregory DiMartino wrote in a Facebook post addressed to the accused that she had turned the ordeal of losing her leg into a positive experience.

The 27-year-old described how she had been afraid of testifying on Wednesday just a few feet away from Tsarnaev at the opening of his trial.

But she said that when the 21-year-old refused to look her in the eye as she took the stand, she realised he was a "coward".

Tsarnaev and his brother allegedly placed two pressure-cooker bombs near the marathon finish line on 15 April 2013, killing three people and injuring 264 others.

Ms DiMartino's former partner, Pete DiMartino, was also wounded in the bombings. The couple married in April 2014, but split last month.

Despite having her leg amputated as a result of her injuries, Ms DiMartino is training for the Boston marathon in April this year.

She wrote: "Over the last two years, I have seen your face not only in pictures, but in almost every one of my nightmares.

"Moments before the first blast, your stupid backpack even brushed up against my arm, but I doubt you remember because I am no one to you."

She said the ordeal had gifted her and other survivors "a tremendous platform" to help others.

"You can't handle the fact that what you tried to destroy, you only made stronger," she wrote.

Ms DiMartino said she now especially treasures her relationship with her young son, also a survivor.

She adds: "In so many ways, you saved my life. Because now, I am so much more appreciative of every new day I am given. And now, I get to hug my son even tighter than before."

Ms DiMartino concluded: "To me you're a nobody, and it is official that you have lost. So man that really sucks for you bro. I truly hope it was worth it."

Before testimony resumed on Thursday, Tsarnaev's lawyers complained to the judge that the survivors' testimony from the previous day had been too gruesome and should be limited.

Tsarnaev's defence attorney adopted the unusual tactic in her opening statement of telling a jury he did it , even though he denies all charges.

She argued the defendant was heavily influenced by his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Legal analysts say that since it seems unlikely Tsarnaev will escape conviction, his attorney is trying to save him from the death penalty.