Panayiotou and his co-accused, Nenembe and Sibeko, are facing charges of conspiring, kidnapping, robbing and killing Jayde, who was abducted outside her townhouse complex in Kabega Park and later murdered in a field near KwaNobuhle on April 21 2015.

A fourth suspect, Sizwezakhe Vumazonke, the alleged hitman, died before the trial began. On Wednesday, the defence began cross-examining the investigating officer, Captain Kanna Swanepoel. Swanepoel had testified in the trial within a trial to determine the admissibility of the recording of Panayiotou and his bouncer Luthando Siyoni, the alleged middleman turned state witness shortly after Jayde’s murder.

Panayiotou’s defence counsel, Advocate Terry Price, had quizzed him on why he had not tried to convince Siyoni to get different legal counsel. He had also raised questions about him being placed in protective custody in holding cells, and Siyoni’s claims that his lawyer had never visited him.

News24