Sentencing in the Panayiotou murder trial is set to resume in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Thursday‚ with the defence expected to present arguments in mitigation of sentence.
The matter was postponed last Friday after an emotional Toni Inggs‚ the younger sister of slain schoolteacher Jayde Panayiotou‚ took to the stand in aggravation of sentence.
Inggs told the court she no longer believed in heaven and hell.
“I believe that good and evil is here amongst us every day‚ it’s the people we meet‚ the people we love and the strangers we pass on the streets.”
Reading a statement she had prepared‚ Inggs said she had decided a year ago to ask if she could address those responsible for her sister’s murder in April 2015 – her husband Christopher Panayiotou and his co-accused Sinethemba Nemembe and Zolani Sibeko.
“To stand here and say that I hate the three of you would truly be an understatement of how I feel about you and what you have done to my family‚” she said.
“I have watched my mom and dad fall apart over and over and over again because of you and all I can do is stand back and watch‚ I have never felt more helpless in my life. How do you comfort your mother when her daughter has been murdered‚ execution style at the hands of her husband?”
Inggs said while she respected whatever sentence Judge Dayalin Chetty would pass‚ no sentence would ever be enough and “no sentence will ever put the damaged pieces of our life together”.
“I don’t believe that we were put here to kill and hurt innocent people the way the three of you have. And therefore don’t believe you should ever be allowed to walk free‚ lurking around corners stalking your next victims. After all‚ if Vumazonke‚ a known criminal wasn’t released‚ Jayde may still be alive today‚” she said.
“Everyone screams ‘bring back the death penalty’‚ but I do not wish death on either of you‚ because you do not deserve the peacefulness that death has to offer.
“I want you to know that we will never forgive you. No matter how many people insist we must and no matter how many years pass‚ the cowards sitting in this row here today will never be forgiven.”
Panayiotou and Nemembe were found guilty earlier this month of pre-meditated murder‚ while Sibeko was found guilty of conspiracy to murder.
-HeraldLIVE
Sentencing in Panayiotou murder trial to resume in the PE High Court
The matter was postponed last Friday after an emotional Toni Inggs‚ the younger sister of slain schoolteacher Jayde Panayiotou‚ took to the stand in aggravation of sentence.
Inggs told the court she no longer believed in heaven and hell.
“I believe that good and evil is here amongst us every day‚ it’s the people we meet‚ the people we love and the strangers we pass on the streets.”
Reading a statement she had prepared‚ Inggs said she had decided a year ago to ask if she could address those responsible for her sister’s murder in April 2015 – her husband Christopher Panayiotou and his co-accused Sinethemba Nemembe and Zolani Sibeko.
“To stand here and say that I hate the three of you would truly be an understatement of how I feel about you and what you have done to my family‚” she said.
“I have watched my mom and dad fall apart over and over and over again because of you and all I can do is stand back and watch‚ I have never felt more helpless in my life. How do you comfort your mother when her daughter has been murdered‚ execution style at the hands of her husband?”
Inggs said while she respected whatever sentence Judge Dayalin Chetty would pass‚ no sentence would ever be enough and “no sentence will ever put the damaged pieces of our life together”.
“I don’t believe that we were put here to kill and hurt innocent people the way the three of you have. And therefore don’t believe you should ever be allowed to walk free‚ lurking around corners stalking your next victims. After all‚ if Vumazonke‚ a known criminal wasn’t released‚ Jayde may still be alive today‚” she said.
“Everyone screams ‘bring back the death penalty’‚ but I do not wish death on either of you‚ because you do not deserve the peacefulness that death has to offer.
“I want you to know that we will never forgive you. No matter how many people insist we must and no matter how many years pass‚ the cowards sitting in this row here today will never be forgiven.”
Panayiotou and Nemembe were found guilty earlier this month of pre-meditated murder‚ while Sibeko was found guilty of conspiracy to murder.
-HeraldLIVE
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