Staff Reporter.
Luthando Siyoni has been found guilty of Jayde Panayiotou’s murder. Photo Credit:
The Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha found Luthando Siyoni guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the Jayde Panayiotou murder trial.
Siyoni, 37, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday.
He was originally a state witness to be acquitted of the crimes, was prosecuted after he became a hostile witness while testifying against his co-accused.
“His status was immediately revoked and he was arrested in May 2018, hence the separation of trials,” police spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said.
“Siyoni was the last accused to be prosecuted after Jayde’s husband, Christopher Panayiotou, 35, Sinethemba Menende, 34, and Zolani Roxo, 41, were found guilty and subsequently sentenced to life in prison in 2017. Their co-accused, Sizwezakhe Prince Vumazonke, 42, died before the trial was finalised.”
Siyoni was the so-called middleman, who confessed that he had sourced a hitman for Panayiotou to kill his wife.
In April 2015, Jayde,was kidnapped in front of the Stellen Glen Complex in Kabega Park, where she lived with her husband, and driven to a deserted area near Wincanton Road where she was shot three times.
Siyoni accepted R80,000 from Panayiotou to plan the hit.
After paying the hitmen, he kept R30,000 for himself as his share of the spoils.
Panayiotou is serving a life sentence at the St Albans Prison and He testified against Siyoni on behalf of the state.