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Phones placed two accused in Panayiotou murder trial at scene of abduction‚ court hears

MANY CHARGES: Christopher Panayiotou, one of the three people arrested over the murder of his wife Jayde, appeared in court yesterday Photo: Mike Holmes
MANY CHARGES: Christopher Panayiotou, one of the three people arrested over the murder of his wife Jayde, appeared in court yesterday Photo: Mike Holmes

Data analyst Thereza Botha on Wednesday highlighted the events which unfolded on the day of Jayde Panayiotou’s kidnapping and murder.

Botha’s evidence in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Wednesday morning was based purely on cellphone analysis and then corroborated with a vehicle tracking system.

 Referring to the GPS tracker attached to the vehicle which suspected triggerman Sizwezakhe Vumazonke used to carry out the alleged hit‚ she said the car left his residence in KwaNobuhle at 5.24am.

Botha said Vumazonke then travelled to the residence of co-accused Sinethembe Nemembe.

At 6:03am the vehicle reached the reception area of Jayde’s Stellen Glen complex in Kabega Park. It allegedly circled the complex six times while the men waited for Jayde to emerge.

 At 6:27am the vehicle braked harshly outside Stellen Glen. The state believes this was when Jayde was kidnapped.

 Botha said Nemembe and Vumazonke’s phones placed them at the scene of the abduction.

 The vehicle was switched off at 7:13am‚ about 22m from where Jayde’s body was discovered.

 That night‚ Christopher Panayiotou’s handset was activated at his family’s OK Grocer in Algoa Park‚ where he allegedly remained for about 10 minutes. He then phoned Luthando Siyoni‚ a call which lasted about 50 seconds.

 Botha returns to the stand on Wednesday afternoon.

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