Precious Mangesana’s friend has testified in the Lusaka High Court that the deceased would sometimes ask her for foundation (makeup) to cover up bruises on her neck inflicted by her boyfriend, Nshinka Kaputo.

Betsy Mbando, 28, of Salama park, an assistant billing officer at Multichoice, testified that Precious once told her that Nshinka owned a gun and that he would point it to her head when they argued and that he once fired a warning shot in the air.

In this matter, a Lusaka businessman Nshinka Kaputo is charged with two counts of murdering his girlfriend Precious Mangesana and acts intended to cause grievous harm.

Kaputo, 34, is alleged to have shot dead Mangesana, a Multi-Choice employee, on October 5 last year.

And when the matter came up for continuation of trial before Justice Catherine Phiri, Tuesday, Mbando said she knew Precious after joining Multi-Choice in 2013.

“I knew her when I joined Multi-Choice in 2013 at the call centre. At that time, Precious was working at the Churn and Retention department,” she said.

Mbando said she only became very close with Precious in 2015 after she was transfered to the department where the deceased was working.

“In 2015, I was transfered to the department where Precious was working from and that is when we become very close. Our close relations where based on our similar lifestyles; I was expecting and she had a daughter. [And] we were both single parents,” she said.

Mbando narrated that from the stories Precious shared with her, she could tell that her relationship with the accused was not stable.

“We would stay late after work to study because we had enrolled at UNILUS. We would talk about my relationship and she would also talk about her relationship with the father of her child. From the things she shared, I could tell that their relationship was on and off,” she said.

Mbando testified that Nshinka used to physically abuse Precious to the point of inflicting bruises on her neck.

She added that Precious had once mentioned to her that Nshinka owned a gun and would point it to her head in instances where they argued.

“There were a few times she would come and ask for foundation (make up) from me and when I asked what it was for, she said she needed it to cover cover bruises on her neck inflicted on her by Nshinka. She once mentioned to me that Nshinka owned a gun and would point it to her head in instances where they argued. She (Precious) even mentioned that he once shot in the air while they were arguing,” she recalled.

Mbando said the week that Precious died, Nshinka had shown her photos of himself and his would- be girlfriend.

She explained that when Precious told Nshinka that she would also date someone else, he told her to pack her bags and leave his house.

“The week that she died, she told me that Nshinka showed her photos of himself and his would be girlfriend. When Precious told him that she would also date someone else, he told her to pack her bags and leave his house. He refused to allow her to go with their daughter to the farm where she relocated to. The week when she died, Precious went to her daughter’s school to visit her but teachers informed her that she had not been going to school,” Mbando said.

Mbando testified that every time Precious called Nshinka to ask about their daughter, he would say “if you come here I will kill you”.

“She said every time she called Nshinka to ask about the daughter, he would say ‘if you come here I will kill you’. The day that she died, she posted a status on Facebook complaining about someone being moody, when I asked her who the posting was meant for, she said that it was in reference to Nshinka. That same day in the night, I was told that she died,” said Mbando.

Trail continues on July 17.