Jayde middleman to talk as trial-within-a-trial ruled out

PORT ELIZABETH: The man allegedly hired by Christopher Panayiotou to recruit a hitman to kidnap and kill his schoolteacher wife Jayde is now expected to testify.

This after Judge Dayalin Chetty ruled against a trial-within-a-trial yesterday.

Self-confessed middleman Luthando Siyoni is expected to testify in the ongoing trial against Panayiotou and two co-accused, Sinethemba Nemembe and Zolani Sibeko.

State prosecutor Marius Stander argued extensively against a trialwithin-a-trial being held.

Stander argued that Siyoni’s evidence should be heard in the main trial as Siyoni was a Section 204 witness and not an accused before court.

“I have not heard of any court going with a trial-within-a-trial, and to determine the admissibility of evidence, it’s done in the main trial,” said Stander.

Defence advocate Terry Price was thrown off-guard by the State’s application to dispense with a trialwithin-a-trial and said the State was ambushing the defence.

“I was up until 2am preparing for a trial-within-a-trial.

“We were under the impression a trial-within-a-trial would take place,” said Price.

He argued that Siyoni’s evidence would be “poisonous to the mind”.

“Charges against Siyoni were only withdrawn sometime in August. He was an accused, he should be treated like an accused, not a 204 witness,” said Price.

The State alleges that Nemembe assisted Sizwe Vumazonke to kidnap and murder Jayde at the behest of her husband. Vumazonke, who was the alleged link between Siyoni and another hitman, has since died.