Port Elizabeth – When the bail application of Christopher Panayiotou resumed on Thursday, senior advocate Terry Price asked that court proceedings not to be postponed again as his client had been in custody for three weeks already.
Price on Thursday also defended his absence from court proceedings the previous day, claiming that the State knew all along that he was not going to be present in court.
The bail application was postponed on Wednesday by a visibly upset Magistrate Abigail Beaton after a late change in counsel for Panayiotou who was represented by attorney Theuns Roelofse due to Price being out of town.
Beaton was not happy with the sudden change to the defence counsel, saying a notice of substitution had not been filed with the court. She eventually postponed the matter until Thursday.
On Wednesday Beaton had said it was important that the accused’s rights were protected when it emerged that Price would not be present in court.
Beaton said she did not want a scenario where the accused could at a later stage complain that he had not had the right to a fair bail application and a fair trial.
On Thursday, the media were also reprimanded and asked not to record private conversations that took place between Price, his client and his family when court was not in session.
Beaton told the press it was their duty to report on the proceedings responsibly.
Price and instructing attorney Alwyn Griebenow were both present at court on Thursday morning.
It is exactly a month ago on Thursday that Port Elizabeth was rocked with the news of the disappearance of Riebeek College Girls’ High School teacher, Jayde Panayiotou, 29.
Her photograph was circulated on social media as news emerged that she had been abducted from her Kabega Park townhouse before her body was found dumped in the Rocklands area a day later.
Christopher Panayiotou was arrested days after Luthando Siyoli, 31, a bouncer at a nightclub owned by Panayiotou, had been arrested.
A third suspect, Sizwezakhe Vumazonke, 30, was arrested later.
All three men have been charged with murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances and conspiracy to commit murder.
ANA