Panayiotou bail judgment postponed to June 4 - As it happened

Matter postponed to June 4.

“It has been a lengthy application,” Beeton says.

Court has adjourned.

Beeton has indicated that she would like to finalise the matter by Friday.

Addressing Panayiotou directly, she says she understands that he has been in custody for a long time.

Beeton has indicated that she had hoped to finalise the case by this Friday, but that due to the last two days and the number of other outstanding judgements this is unlikely

She says she needs to apply her mind to what has been presented to the court.

"I'm not going to sleep," she says.

Beeton is not happy with the back and forth.

Beeton asks "now what?”

Price chirps that it is now her turn to decide when she will hand down her judgment.

Price has indicated that Griebenow has "gone globetrotting" and that Price will not be available tomorrow and Friday.

Stander says it is important that the affidavit by Investigating Officer Swanepoel was submitted when Price was not in court, and that it was submitted before Panayiotou’s response.

He says this is crucial, as it means Swanepoel did not have access to the responses made by Panayiotou, so it could not be argued that Swanepoel is unethical.

“Why did the defence advise Panayiotou not to disclose his Cypriot dual citizenship?” Beeton asks Price.

“This is absolutely shocking,” she says.

Price now wrapping up.

He refers to a judgement attached to his heads, addressing the issue of schedule 6 cases.

Price says that someone in the prison community had phoned him and told him that his client wanted his services.

“The whole situation stinks to high heaven,” says Price.

Tiervlei:

Price is now addressing the issue of Tiervlei, a man who is reported to have approached Christopher Panayiotou in St Albans and offered to have witnesses and evidence disappear.

Panayiotou has been able to secure the services of a senior advocate and attorney, which indicates that he has means.

“I had to chuckle at all the speculation around my client’s business operations.”

Panayiotou finances:

Price is now addressing the issue of the accused's financial status.

Investigating Officer’s statements Price is now challenging statements submitted by IO Kanna Swanepoel, saying that he made misleading statements.

Swanepoel, for one, stated as a matter of fact that the Cypriot passport had been obtained to avoid trial.

When an accused submits his version of events and it is not challenged by the State it has to be accepted, he continues.

“90% of the submissions made by Christopher Panayiotou went unchallenged.”

Price now referring to a book, Fruit of the Poisoned Tree wherein international fingerprint experts proved that a fingerprint had been planted.

He is not implying that the State has planted evidence.

But if Panayiotou believed the State had a strong case, he would make a decision to flee.

Highlighting sections, he refers to how the evidence doesn't show that it was a murder or a hit.

Price says he has never met a prosecutor who has ever said he had a weak case.

Price says the strength of the State’s case is not the be all and end all of whether bail should be granted or not, but it is just one aspect that needs to be taken into account.

Price says he is not going to get involved in a debate on the strength of case.

Price says one just has to look at the [video] transcript to realise that this does not show he was involved in the murder of his wife.

'Lonely'

Price: Panayiotou has already indicated that he would prefer to be held in a communal cell as an individual cell is lonely.

Court back in session.

Advocate Price now addressing the court.

He says Stander has said so much he doesn't know where to begin.

Stander says on a technical point, it is important to note that there is more information to cellphone than just the information given by the service providers, and that while a lot of data had been wiped, there is still a lot available and the State still has the middle man's phone.

Stander concludes. Beeton asks for a brief five-minute adjournment.

“Although there has been a lot made about the admissibility of the video and audio transcript from the car, the state is confident that all the necessary procedures had been followed.”

It is also not the only evidence, he says.

Stander points that the forensic investigation is also being conducted to determine touch dna on cash that had been in the possession of both Siyoli and Vumazonke.

Stander says there are also numerous witnesses that can also corroborate the State’s case of Panayiotou having an affair with Coutts.