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A female police officer accused of killing her estranged husband in cold blood last year had a troubled marriage with the deceased, an investigating officer in the murder case has told an Eldoret High Court.

Corporal Stephen Nzau attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Moiben sub-county in his evidence in chief before Justice Reuben Nyakundi described as toxic the relationship between Lillian Biwott and her deceased husband Victor Kipchumba.

He recounted how at one point, Lillian, an administration police constable attached to the infrastructural police unit in Turbo sub-county sought a transfer to another station to stay away from her allegedly violent and abusive husband.

“The accused used to complain about frequent assaults by the deceased that resulted in bodily injuries at their rental house in Kimumu estate along the Eldoret-Iten highway,” stated Nzau.

He told the court that there was one incident on February 15, 2014 when the deceased stormed Ainabtich police station where Lillian was stationed and engaged her in a fight causing serious injuries on her head and face.

Police custody

The investigating officer said the ugly incident occurred in the presence of Lillian’s colleagues which prompted them to take action by arresting the assailant on the post and locked him in police custody.

However, as the police were planning to prefer charges against the slain former matatu driver, his parents who were informed about the incident came and pleaded for his release from the police custody saying that they will sort out the matter with Lillian’s parents out of court.

Nzau was testifying in a case in which Lillian is accused of shooting to death her estranged husband using an AK 47 assault rifle she had been assigned to guard Kenya Bureau of Standards, Eldoret branch.

The mother of four committed the said criminal act on October 14, 2023 at Kimumu estate, Moiben sub county Uasin Gishu county.

According to Nzau, Lillian pumped twelve life bullets into the body of her husband in their bedroom after an argument ensued between the couple. “Lillian left in a huff from the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Eldoret branch building where she had been assigned the night duty after receiving a distress call from her house girl,” stated Nzau.

He told the court that from the investigations he gathered from her workmates, the accused had informed them that she had received disturbing information from her house girl regarding the safety of her children.

Nzau told Justice Nyakundi that the accused was worried and decided to rush to her house on a motor bike after being informed by the house

girl that her estranged husband had threatened to slaughter their four children with a knife.  “When she arrived at their house, a quarrel ensued between the couple in front of their children and it extended to their bedroom,” added Nzau.

Nzau further told the court that it was after the deceased flashed out a pen knife in an attempt to stab the accused that she opened fire, killing her husband in cold blood.

The investigating officer said that he recovered the said pen knife on the shelf of the couple’s house which he used as an exhibit in the murder trial.

Justice Nyakundi directed that a status conference be held on July 31.