'Debt led to Jayde's murder'

22 May 2015 - 02:08 By Riaan Marais

It is suspected that debt, running into millions of rands, and an extramarital affair drove Christopher Panayiotou to plot the murder of his wife, Jayde. Jayde, 29, was abducted from outside her Kabega Park home in Port Elizabeth, and shot three times. Her body was found the following day on a farm in Rocklands.Yesterday, state prosecutor Marius Stander - in opposing Panayiotou's bail application in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate's Court - revealed that Panayiotou, 28, owed money on two Port Elizabeth properties and his flashy car.The state alleged that Panayiotou bought numerous gifts for his mistress, Chanelle Coutts, a manager at his OK Grocer store.According to the state, Panayiotou's father disapproved of the alleged affair and threatened to disinherit him if it continued. Panayiotou has denied this.Said Stander: "The motive for killing the deceased is actually very simple. The applicant was in financial difficulty. He hardly managed to keep his head above water."Stander said the accused owed about R2.98-million on two houses and his vehicle but only earned R30000 a month.Panayiotou owes R200000 on his R290000 2015 VW Golf TSI.Stander said Panayiotou still owed R583000 on the home he shared with Jayde in Kabega. Panayiotou also bought a home in Lovemore Park for R2.2-million, with a monthly bond of R20000.Earlier, the court heard that there were numerous attempts to kill Jayde and that her husband allegedly paid R70000 for the hit.Panayiotou, through his advocate Terry Price, admitted to having an affair with Coutts.Luthando Siyoli, 31, and Sizwezakhe Vumazonke, 30, are Panayiotou's co-accused. A transcript of a conversation between Panayiotou and Siyoli was also made available in court yesterday (to read an edited version of the transcript, go to www.timeslive.co.za).Panayiotou's bail application was postponed to May 26.The Herald and RDM News Wire..

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