GUILTY South Africa - Jayde Panayiotou, 28, Port Elizabeth, 21 April 2015

[Hatfield]

This is how Jayde Panayiotou died

http://www.you.co.za/news/this-is-how-jayde-panayiotou-died/

Thanks for all the good summary links.

I hope she can get justice soon.

I despise all murderers and especially people that hire hit men to kill others. I hope justice is served on all those responsible.

Such a sad case.

People need to just divorce each other instead of killing each other and its just too bad if you have to pay 1/2 to an ex. When you get married everyone knows the deal. So unless there is a prenuptial then people need to just suck it up and get an amicable divorce.

Im so tired of hearing of people killing a spouse to get out of a marriage and likely trying to avoid having to pay any money.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Jayde’s parents gave her R240 000 toward paying off her car and helping toward the purchase of a new house that her husband was buying for them.

Prosecutor Marius Stander produced bank statements to assist with his questioning of her father Derrick Inggs over the flow of money between them and Jayde.

The first was a withdrawal of R40 000 which Inggs said had been to assist his daughter to pay off an account for her car.

The second was a payment of R100 000 from her mother Michelle and the third was another R100 000 that Derrick had given her, which he had accessed from a bond account.

"Jayde told us they needed this money for the transfer fees and my wife and I decided to give it to her," said Inggs.

"So the R200k was for the house?" asked Stander.
"That is correct," said Inggs.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/jaydes-parents-helped-her-and-christopher-with-money-20161103

Jayde's poor family must be devastated by what has happened. It's not as though they were a wealthy family. They did everything to help their daughter and her husband out and this is how they were thanked. They treated CP like a son. His own parents loved Jayde. It seems that his own family are totally shocked by the murder too.

I can't wait to hear what the mistress has to say about everything.

I can't understand how CP can say he was forced to marry. His parents became aware of the affair and his father voiced his disapproval in no uncertain terms. If he was prepared to continue his affair after his marriage with his parents aware of it, how can he say he was "forced".

IMO this is a man who wanted it all and was prepared to go to any lengths to achieve it. I haven't read one bad word against Jayde from anyone. She absolutely doted on him, stayed up late (while he was out with the mistress) and told her best friend that she dressed up at night so that he didn't always see her in PJs or very casual clothes when he returned late.

This case is tragic on so many levels.

 

[perfectingpink]

Jayde’s parents gave her R240 000 toward paying off her car and helping toward the purchase of a new house that her husband was buying for them.

Prosecutor Marius Stander produced bank statements to assist with his questioning of her father Derrick Inggs over the flow of money between them and Jayde.

The first was a withdrawal of R40 000 which Inggs said had been to assist his daughter to pay off an account for her car.

The second was a payment of R100 000 from her mother Michelle and the third was another R100 000 that Derrick had given her, which he had accessed from a bond account.

"Jayde told us they needed this money for the transfer fees and my wife and I decided to give it to her," said Inggs.

"So the R200k was for the house?" asked Stander.
"That is correct," said Inggs.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/jaydes-parents-helped-her-and-christopher-with-money-20161103

Jayde's poor family must be devastated by what has happened. It's not as though they were a wealthy family. They did everything to help their daughter and her husband out and this is how they were thanked. They treated CP like a son. His own parents loved Jayde. It seems that his own family are totally shocked by the murder too.

I can't wait to hear what the mistress has to say about everything.

I can't understand how CP can say he was forced to marry. His parents became aware of the affair and his father voiced his disapproval in no uncertain terms. If he was prepared to continue his affair after his marriage with his parents aware of it, how can he say he was "forced".

IMO this is a man who wanted it all and was prepared to go to any lengths to achieve it. I haven't read one bad word against Jayde from anyone. She absolutely doted on him, stayed up late (while he was out with the mistress) and told her best friend that she dressed up at night so that he didn't always see her in PJs or very casual clothes when he returned late.

This case is tragic on so many levels.

I am not understanding how he was forced to marry Jayde at all. I think you are right that he wanted it all. Did he have a life insurance policy on her?

 

[PrimeSuspect]

I am not understanding how he was forced to marry Jayde at all. I think you are right that he wanted it all. Did he have a life insurance policy on her?

Price asked Eksteen if he could recall a conversation between himself and Phillip Vosloo, a friend of the Panayiotous, regarding an apparent life insurance policy on Jayde valued between R3.5m and R6m.

http://m.news24.com/news24/SouthAfr...cops-have-permission-to-record-calls-20161129

This could be the motive for her murder if proven to be true.

Edit- 6 million rand = 450,000 US dollars and nearly 600,000 in AUS dollars.

 

[JudgeJudi]

I am not understanding how he was forced to marry Jayde at all. I think you are right that he wanted it all. Did he have a life insurance policy on her?

"But the conversations between April 29 and May 1 last year also tell a sad story of a father’s disapproval and how Christopher was allegedly forced to marry the woman he is now accused of having killed".

“Costa forced him to get married,” Vosloo said, describing Coutts as submissive and Jayde as stubborn. Eksteen agreed. The conversation also turned to the woman named Jenny. “You see, first it was Jenny … Then they got rid of Jenny with one hell of a struggle.”

http://www.heraldlive.co.za/news/top-news/2016/12/01/panayiotou-recordings-reveal-rift-dad/

I think this was probably just another case of a father putting pressure on his son to marry, as is quite common within some ethnic groups - get married, have children, carry on the family name etc.

 

[JudgeJudi]

O/T Next Monday the Henri van Breda trial starts in Capetown, South Africa. This is an extremely high profile case in SA and will be only the second trial to be live streamed , the first being Oscar Pistorius. There’s only one thread (14 pages) so you have 4 days to catch up.

I’ll continue to post media links on this thread but just have to watch HvB. For those of you who didn’t follow the Pistorius trial, particularly those of you from the US, I strongly urge you to have a look at this one. For the most part, trials in Australia and the UK are conducted like this.

Judge Desai has been on the bench for 21 years, has an excellent knowledge of the law (unlike Judge Masipa in the OP trial who was completely incompetent), asks questions, and won’t be bullied by counsel. I find him extremely impressive.

In a nutshell HvB murdered his parents and elder brother with a recently purchased axe and came extremely close to murdering his sister Marli. She sustained brain damage and now suffers from retrograde amnesia. The family was extremely wealthy and lived in one of SA’s most secure and exclusive estates. There was no sign of a break-in. The thread is completely up-to-date.

If you’re interested in watching this trial, feel free to send me a PM and I’ll give you a brief heads-up on the South African legal system.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...54-amp-Rudi-van-Breda-22-murdered-26-Jan-2015

 

[JudgeJudi]

Jayde's family and CP's parents are in court. Proceedings will be delayed slightly as one of the co-accused, Nenembe, is appearing in Court B for another case.

Here's a link for live updates.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-panayiotou-murder-trial-resumes-20170419#cxrecs_s

 

[JudgeJudi]

Nenembe appeared briefly for his alleged involvement in another case where a 78-year-old PE woman, Denise Webber from Kabega Park, was robbed and murdered. He is one of four accused.

That case has now been set down for trial on January 30, 2018.

(All updates will be from News24 unless otherwise specified)

 

[JudgeJudi]

The accused and Judge are now in court.
Court session has begun, only for court to be adjourned.
The screen in front of Judge Dayalin Chetty is incorrectly placed - judge says he cannot see the accused.

- COURT IS BACK IN SESSION -

Marius Stander calls his first witness.
Terry Price asks to address the court beforehand.

TP: We asked the court to make a ruling to have the State provide us with any new statements.
TP: We have received 21 new statements since the beginning of April.
TP: We have looked through the statements, they are meaningless.
TP: My biggest problem, every one of these witnesses, their statements deal with issues that have been available since the beginning of the trial.
TP: There are [dual] trials being run.
TP: One of the witnesses' statements was splashed across the front page of the Weekend Post, and he hasn't even appeared before the court.
TP: We are being ambushed.
TP: I have no doubt that, when we come back in June, we will be flooded with even more documentation.

MS: The witness that TP is referring to, was not part of this investigation. It came to light after the newspaper article and was obtained.
MS: The statements all talk about documents that are before court.
MS: The statements deal with information that has been before the court.
DC: (Judge Dayalin Chetty) Let's get on with it then.
MS: The State calls Berney Kleinveld.

MS: Kleinveld (BK), you are a warrant officer at Mount Road police station?
BK: Yes

MS: And your job is to take photos of suspects who pass through the system.
BK: Yes

MS: I want to take you to 30 April 2015
MS: Did you take a photo of Luthando Siyoni?
BK: Yes

MS: Is this the photo?
BK: Yes

MS: No further questions.

 

[JudgeJudi]

TP: Your statement was taken in 2015
BK: Yes

TP: When you take a photo, what happens?
BK: When the photo is taken, the camera goes to the office and is renamed and stored.

TP: And it is available to anyone
BK: Anyone who has a letter

TP: When were you approached for this photo?
BK: Earlier this year

TP: Can you say that his one eye is smaller than the other
BK: Yes I can say it is smaller, but I cant say why

TP: I didn't ask you why
TP: Did you see this man on the 29th or 28th
BK: No

TP: No further questions
PD: No questions
MS: No cross examination

 

[JudgeJudi]

Sorry, my PC is freezing.

[MS calls his next witness]

MS: I call Mcedi Gcukumana (MG)
MS: MG, is it correct that you are a sergeant in the police service?
MG: That is correct

MS: Where were you based in 2015?
MG: I was stationed in Uitenhage, attached to the hijacking task team working from Mount Road police station.
MS: Colonel Mayi, do you know him?
MG: Yes I do
MS: Was he part of the hijacking task team
MG: Yes, he was my supervisor
MS: I want to take you to the 27th of April 2015, can you still recall where you were?
MG: On the 27th of April in 2015, Col. Mayi and I were in Alice on investigation.

MS: Can you tell us what happened from there?
MG: While we were busy with the investigation, around 4.30, Col. Mayi received a call on his phone.
MG: He spoke on the phone and then said we have to drive back to PE.
MG: When I asked him why, he told me there was someone who wanted to see him in connection with a Kabega case.
MG: We then drove back to PE. On the way, he then phoned another constable.
MG: He then asked the constable to bring the person who wanted to speak to him to New Brighton beach.
MG: When we arrived, the constable pointed out the person who wanted to speak to him. Mayi then spoke to him.

 

[JudgeJudi]

MG: After speaking to him, Mayi told us that the person wanted to show us an address. We then drove in our vehicles to the addresses in question.
MG: After having seen these addresses, he told Col. Mayi who the people were who lived there.
MG: We then took the man back to his home.
MG: We then went to a street, the name of which I have forgotten. When we got there, we asked for a man whom Col. Mayi had been told to ask for.
MG: When we got there though, we were told that the man was not there.

 

[JudgeJudi]

MG: We then went to the house where we had been told the man's girlfriend lived.
MG: When we got there, we found the girlfriend.
MG: Mayi then asked the girlfriend where her boyfriend was.
MG: She then told Mayi that her boyfriend was at Algoa Park at the Infinity Sports Club.
MG: We then left with the girlfriend, who was in my vehicle.
MG: We went to the Infinity Sports Club in Algoa Park.
MG: When we got there Col. Mayi and other members went inside, and I remained in the vehicle with the girlfriend.

 

[JudgeJudi]

MG: After a while, they came out with a young man.
MG: Before we left the house with the girlfriend., we also left with the brother.
MG: After we picked up the man, we went back and dropped off the girlfriend's brother at home.
MG: We then went to Kwanobuhle, where we went to the offices of the detectives.
MG: When we got there, Mayi took the girlfriend to another office and we remained with the young man.
MG: After a while, I don't know how long, Mayi returned.

 

[JudgeJudi]

MG: On returning to the office, he said the case was linked to a case in Kabega Park.
MG: He informed the man of his constitutional rights.
MG: We then met up with the investigating officer of the case at a nearby mall.
MG: Mayi then told the investigating officer (IO) about what had transpired and told him about money that needed to be recovered from a relative.
MG: We then went to get the money, where Mayi and the IO recovered the money.
MG: We then went to Kabega Park and handed the young man over to the IO.
MG: And that is all.

 

[JudgeJudi]

MS: Do I understand correctly, that the girlfriend travelled with you in your vehicle?
MG: That is correct
MS: Do you still remember her name?
MG: Babalwa
MS: Now, was Mayi with you in the vehicle with Babalwa or not?
MG: No, he was not

MS: Was she threatened or intimidated in any way when she was with you?
MG: Never

 

[JudgeJudi]

MS: You explained that from Infinity you went to Uitenhage
DC: He first dropped the brother
MS: Yes, after that, did you go to a police station?
MG: It was detective offices
MS: Do you know why it was decided to go to those offices?
MG: The reason was because we did not have a key to access our offices at Mount Road
MG: There were also members from KwaNobuhle, who had keys to the offices

 

[JudgeJudi]

MS: The court has heard that Babalwa is legally blind, do you have any comment on that?
MG: She had no complaint to that regard
MG: To the extent that, when we got to the office at KwaNobuhle, there are stairs that you have to go up.
MG: The only light there is up in the building. She never said she needed any assistance to go up those stairs.

MS: At the time when Mayi was interviewing Babalwa, where were you?
MG: We were in a separate office.

MS: The young man you mentioned, do you remember his name?
TP: They can put the name to the witness.

MS: Common cause, his name is Thando (Luthando Siyoni)

 

[JudgeJudi]

MS: Where was he during the time Mayi was interviewing Babalwa?
MG: He was with us in the office.

MS: Was he handcuffed?
MG: No, he was just sitting there.

MS: Was he assaulted by yourself?
MG: No, that is not true.

MS: Was he threatened?
MG: No

 

[JudgeJudi]

MS: The allegation is that, at some stage, Siyoni was placed on the ground and "tubed".
MG: All the time he was with us, he was seated on a chair, he was never on the floor.

MS: It was also said that, while he was on the floor, members stood on him to the extent that he sustained injury to his legs.
MG: In that office, nothing like that happened.

MS: Was Siyoni handcuffed at some stage?
MG: He was not handcuffed at this stage, he was seated with us. He was only handcuffed later by Mayi.