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

[JudgeJudi]

CP's lawyers argued the testimony of the State's key witness, Luthando Siyoni, was not admissible because it was forced out of him. This was one of the points of contention his lawyers raised in papers to the ConCourt.

The submission claims police assaulted Siyoni and forced him to implicate CP in a secret video recording taken during a sting operation. In it, CP appeared to discuss how hitmen would get rid of his wife.

Defence advocate Terry Price accused police and the prosecution of having lied during court proceedings. Price also argued they didn't get a fair trial and he accused Judge Chetty of being biased.

Wife killer Panayiotou heads to ConCourt to appeal conviction

 

[JudgeJudi]

IMO CP has 2 chances, nil and Buckley's, of the ConCourt hearing an appeal.

 

[JudgeJudi]

CP has lost his Constitutional Court bid to have his conviction overturned.

The court dismissed his application for leave to appeal, saying that there was no reasonable prospect of success on appeal, according to the Herald.

The publication reported that the court also refused his application for condonation, which was related to the delay in lodging.

The court reportedly found that there was no "acceptable explanation" for the delay.

ConCourt dismisses wife murderer Christopher Panayiotou's bid to appeal conviction

So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye. I hope he enjoys his life sentence in St Albans Maximum Correctional Centre.

 

[JudgeJudi]

At long last, a trial date has finally been set down for Luthando Siyoni, the final person to be tried in connection with Jayde's kidnapping and murder. His case has been postponed to 20 May, 2020.

It's incredible to think that he was initially offered an exemption from prosecution on condition that he testify for the state.

However, he later recanted on his version to deny any involvement. He was subsequently rearrested on a charge of murder.

Trial date set for Jayde ‘middleman’

 

[JudgeJudi]

The trial was obviously postponed yet again but I'm hoping it will get a start this time.

The trial of the alleged middleman in the murder of Jayde Panayiotou is expected to begin on November 16 and is expected to run until December 11. The State prosecutor told the Port Elizabeth High Court that the state is ready to start.

This was soooo premeditated and it was discussed in the secret video recording taken during the sting operation. You can listen to it again here but you only need start at 7:00.

I hope he's given extra time for absconding for 6 months.

Alleged middleman in Panayiotou murder set to go on trial in November

 

[JudgeJudi]

The date has changed yet again.

State prosecutor Marius Stander told the Port Elizabeth High Court that the trial was ready to begin and after consulting with Siyoni’s lawyer Zolile Ngqeza, a date had been arranged for May 3 2021.

Only in SA.

Jayde murder accused Siyoni to stand trial in May

 

[JudgeJudi]

Luthando Siyoni was the so-called middleman, who confessed that he had sourced a hitman for Panayiotou to kill his wife. It’s taken 6 1/2 years but finally the last accused has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Last accused in Jayde Panayiotou murder trial sentenced to life | News24