Jayde Panayiotou’s Husband Christopher Gets Life Imprisonment For Her Murder

Christopher Panayiotou has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife Jayde Panayiotou in 2015.

The murder of the 29-year-old school teacher gripped the nation and resulted in marches and protests against crime in South Africa. She had last been seen alive outside her house gates in Port Elizabeth in the morning, whilst waiting for her lift to school in Uitenhage. Soon after her funeral however, it was revealed that there was evidence her husband had allegedly ordered the killing.

It was alleged that Christopher Panyiotou had begun a relationship with another woman.

Today Judge Dayalin Chetty sentenced Panayiotou to life for murder, and sentenced his co-accused Sinethemba Nenembe to life imprisonment plus 15 years for murder and robbery with aggravated circumstances, and Zolani Sibeko to 15 years for conspiracy to commit murder.

The judge said Panyiotou had only shed “crocodile tears” when his wife’s body was discovered.

During the trial, Jayde’s sister Toni Inggs said the murder had left her family broken, and described Christopher and his co-accused as “cowards and selfish”. She said she felt immense anger and hatred, and did not believe her family could forgive Christopher and that no prison sentence would be enough to heal her family’s life.