Chris Panayiotou defence again

Image Credits: Youtube and Herald Live

Chris Panayiotou defence against murder charge in tatters after damning video evidence [video]

The 26-year-old is on trial for arranging the murder of his wife, Jayde Panayiotou

Chris Panayiotou defence again

Image Credits: Youtube and Herald Live

There has been an intense amount of deliberation about whether the tape was ‘admissible’. Judge Dayalin Chetty finally allowed it to be played in court, and it may be the final nail in the defense’s coffin.

Taken during an undercover police operation on 29th April 2015, the video shows Panayiotou meeting Luthando Siyoni, the ‘facilitator’ who helped organize the murder of Chris’s wife, Jayde.

The conversation is utterly damning, with Panayiotou heard discussing the details of the plan he and the former nightclub bouncer devised to make it look as if it was “just a robbery” outside the house.

The footage from the shady meet-up in the Algo Park Steers car park was played to the Port Elizabeth High Court on Wednesday. The accused goes on to instruct Siyoni to destroy his SIM card and his phone, insisting the police are watching everything he does.

Read: Panayiotou to remain behind bars for now

His suspicions were confirmed when the film became public knowledge.

How Panayiotou implicated himself five times in ten minutes…

“But that’s what I said to you, it became a kidnapping and murder instead of just making it a robbery outside the house,”

 

“I’m going to tell them you came to see me, you wanted to borrow money because people took you for questioning for steroids. I have to tell them, they are investigating me and if I lie to them they going to take me in.”

 

“I’m going to be okay as long as they never know about us Thando. I only ever helped you with the gym. I never did anything with you.

 

“I’ll sort out your family, you hide low, you need to be gone for a few months until this thing calms down. There’s about five (thousand rand) there, sort yourself out because I’m all out now, this thing has cost me a lot of money”

 

“I told you let them do it outside the house and take the bags and the rings. And they didn’t take the watch or anything, they just left everything there. So it looks like a hit now.”

Sinethemba Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko (the men he allegedly hired for the hit through Siyoni) are also facing the same charges as the accused for conspiracy to kidnap, rob and murder Jayde.

After the long fight to keep video evidence out of the court, this may just be the exhibit responsible for sending Panayiotou down.

You can watch the video (coutesy of Herald Live) here: