Panayiotou’s mistress takes stand

Murder accused Christopher Panayiotou’s mistress, Chanelle Coutts, took the stand in the Port Elizabeth High Court yesterday to testify as a defence witness.

The public gallery was packed with members of the media, the Inggs and Panayiotou families and women in support of Coutts.

Coutts, 29, dressed smartly in black, hastily entered the court and at every opportunity avoided being photographed by the media. She worked as a manager at the Panayiotous’ OK Grocer, and testified that during April 2015, in the days after Jayde Panayiotou was shot and killed, the police pressured her into giving them information.

Coutts said police picked her up and took her to the Hawks’ offices in Newton Park.

She said she felt “confused, scared and intimidated” at the meeting, which lasted for three hours.

She testified that at some stage she decided to appoint attorney Danie Gouws because she felt that the police were harassing her: “[Investigating officer] Kanna came to my house and put a lot of pressure on me and kept on asking the same questions over and over. They insinuated that I was covering up for Christopher.”

Coutts denied that Panayiotou had paid a deposit of R17 000 for her new Polo vehicle. Coutts claimed that Panayiotou had “contributed” towards it through a bonus.

However, state Advocate Marius Stander questioned why, if the R17 000 was a bonus, had it not reflected in the business’ financial books.

Coutts also denied any knowledge of the alleged hit money having been kept in a bag in the OK Grocer storeroom. She said the storeroom was often unlocked and anyone has access to it. She claimed that she had no knowledge of events that led up to the school teacher’s murder. – ANA