The final moments of a Melbourne father who was shot in the head, allegedly at the behest of his ex's new husband, have been aired during a murder trial which heard he told his girlfriend not to worry before being violently killed.
Biannca Edmunds is appearing in the Supreme Court of Victoria where she has pleaded not guilty over the murder of her former fiance, Michael Caposiena, at Westmeadows in 2016.
Mr Caposiena was killed by Glen Cassidy, who was married to Ms Edmunds at the time, and also died after being stabbed during the attack.
At the time of the double killings, Mr Caposiena and the accused woman were going through a bitter custody battle and prosecutors told the court that she "assisted or encouraged or directed" the murder of her former lover.
But Ms Edmunds maintains her innocence.
Court hears killer used handshake ruse
The jury was played graphic crime scene footage which showed the grisly aftermath of the killings, including the bodies of both men, and what appeared to be the barrel of a handgun in a pot of rosemary.
Mr Caposiena's grieving girlfriend, Silvana Silva, witnessed the killings and was today called as a witness.
She told the jury that in March 2016, she saw Mr Cassidy walking down their street in Westmeadows, and recognised him from custody hearings with her partner and the accused woman.
"I froze because I could remember him from court," Ms Silva said.
"I said, 'Michael, Michael, that's Glen.'
"Then Michael said, no it can't be … you must be paranoid."
Ms Silva told the jury she urged her partner to call the police but he told her not to worry.
Not long afterwards, Mr Cassidy rang the doorbell and Mr Caposiena answered, armed with a carving knife.
She told the court that Mr Caposiena opened the front door and was heard saying: "I'm sorry but I can't do anything for you."
She then heard Mr Cassidy asking for a handshake, sparking Mr Caposiena to open the security door.
"That's when he grabbed Michael's hand and then he just pushed him inside the house," she said.
"He grabbed the gun, pointing towards Michael's head and they were in front of each other."
Victim's partner recounts partner's final moments
The court heard that a struggle broke out with Mr Cassidy holding the gun in his left hand and Mr Caposiena using his right hand to block it.
Mr Cassidy then pulled the trigger.
"He ran to the door and the only thing I could see was Michael losing balance for a few seconds and then just going to the floor," said Ms Silva, who then screamed outside for help.
But the gun did not go off, the jury was told.
"It was like a clack noise," Ms Silva said.
"So then he started assaulting me."
The jury heard that Mr Cassidy violently assaulted Ms Silva before neighbours intervened, and she was able to go back inside and check on Mr Caposiena.
"I just remember this voice telling me, 'Go inside, go inside because I don't know if we can hold him,'" she said.
"So I went inside and rushed to Michael."
She wept as she told the court she could not save her partner.
"I tried everything I could to keep him alive. I tried to do CPR. I tried everything. I screamed and yelled for help," she said.
Ms Silva spent four days in hospital after the assault.
The trial continues.
