“Fabrice was not physically violent”, according to his ex-girlfriend
The former companion of Fabrice Kayembe Makolo declared, late Thursday afternoon, before the Brussels Assize Court, that the latter had never been physically violent with her, but only verbally. In this trial, Luciana Mbote, a 33-year-old woman, is accused of having deliberately killed her companion, Fabrice Kayembe Makolo, on June 4, 2021 in Ixelles, following an argument. The victim died after being stabbed in the neck.
“Fabrice and I met in 2013 when he was released from prison and we lived together until 2018,” said the ex-girlfriend of Fabrice Kayembe Makolo, with whom she had two children. “Our relationship was made up of ups and downs. He wasn’t physically abusive towards me, more verbally abusive. At the time, I must say that I myself was very impulsive. He had to support my pig character, ”she said. “Fabrice was rather very sweet, sometimes crying and kneeling in front of me to apologize for something”.
The court also heard from the victim’s sisters, who spoke about his personality. Both insisted that they had only one wish, that of judicial truth. “We are here to have the end of the story and for justice to be done,” said one of them.
On June 4, 2021 around 3:50 a.m., the lifeless body of Fabrice Kayembe Makolo, a 39-year-old man, was discovered in an apartment on rue de Livourne in Ixelles, by the police called to the scene. The man’s companion, Luciana Mbote, was present and in a state of panic, busy shaking the victim in an attempt to wake him up.
Fabrice Kayembe Makolo died following a stab wound to the left side of his neck, which severed the carotid artery and the jugular vein. According to the toxicology report, he was under the influence of cocaine and cannabis.
According to Luciana Mbote, an argument broke out between them. She said her companion grabbed a knife and threatened to stick it in his neck. She then allegedly pulled on her partner’s hand to get the knife away from her throat, while he pulled the other way. When she let go of his hand, the blade pierced his neck. Moments later, Fabrice Kayembe Makolo lost consciousness.
However, in a first spontaneous statement to the police patrol that intervened on the scene, the accused had however declared that the 30-year-old fell and hit his head, then that he attacked her. She quickly gave a second version, claiming to have taken a knife, pushed her companion away and “touched” him on the neck.
The accused said that during the argument, she was violently beaten by her companion. A medical examiner who examined her found that she had several injuries: a hematoma on the upper lip, a contusion on the left shoulder and an abdominal contusion.
Luciana Mbote also said during her interrogations that Fabrice Kayembe Makolo constantly checked on her, wanting to know everything about her dating and her telephone contacts. She claimed to have repeatedly filed a complaint against him for domestic violence.
The trial will continue on Friday with the hearing of the investigating judge and investigators.
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