THE Port Elizabeth High Court yesterday heard that Jayde Panayiotou had been trapped in a private hell in the months leading to her murder.
This was revealed by Jayde’s younger sister, Tony Inggs, the third witness to testify on behalf of the State. A sobbing Tony read a heartrending letter left by Jayde before she was murdered. The letter read: “Where do I turn to? Nobody to talk to. I write these words because I no longer have space inside. I may just explode.”
Tony went on tell the court that Jayde had been incredibly lonely as she and her husband lived separately.
Second witness Dr Bruce du Plessis also testified that Jayde had been feeling depressed and that he had prescribed medication for one month.
Jayde’s close friend and colleague at Riebeek College Girls’ High School in Uitenhage, Cherise Swanepoel, was the first witness to testify. She shared a lift with Jayde.
Cherise went to pick Jayde up outside her complex in Kabaga Park.
She said: “I waited a bit. Then I tried calling but her phone went straight to voicemail. I then called Christopher and asked him where Jayde was, to which he responded, ‘what do you mean? She’s on her way to work’. I told him that something was not right as I was supposed to pick her up. His phone then went straight to voicemail.”
Christopher and his co-accused, Sinethemba Nenemba and Zolani Sibeko, appeared without alleged hitman, Sizwezakhe Vumazonke, who died in Livingstone Hospital last month.
