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Christopher Panayiotou’s mistress, Chanelle Coutts, was very unhappy the day he married Jayde Panayiotou. This is what Clarishka Kapp, one of Chanelle’s friends, said in the Port Elizabeth high court on Thursday. On the day of the wedding he apparently spoke to Clarishka and told her, “he didn’t know if he made the right decision, because he was scared he would lose Chanelle. He made a joke that I must come and kidnap him”.
"He told me he didn't know if he was making the right decision because he was scared he would lose Chanelle" #PanayiotouTrial — Kathryn Kimberley (@KathrynReporter) October 13, 2016
Clarishka and Chanelle have known each other since Grade 3 and they became friends with Christopher after him and his family bought the OK Grocer in Port Elizabeth. Chanelle was already working there at the time.
Read more: This is how Jayde Panayiotou died
Christopher, Sinethemba Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko are being charged with conspiracy, kidnapping, robbery and the murder of Jayde which took place in April last year. Christopher is pleading not guilty.
Clarishka says Chanelle and Christopher became closer and the more serious their relationship became the more expensive the gifts became. Among the gifts she received were various Polo handbags, a watch and a GHD hair iron.
The court heard that the price of Polo handbags start at about R1000 and the watch he bought her cost about R2000.
Christopher sometimes asked Clarishka for gift ideas and there were times that she had to buy gifts on behalf of him.
Clarishka had in the past visited Christopher and Jayde’s home with Chanelle, when Jayde was away. On one occasion she took them takeaways and on other he braaied for them.
Chanelle used to stay over at the house.
Read more: Jayde treated for depression, ‘battling to cope’
Clarishka, Chanelle and Christoper all went away to George on 29 September for Chanelle’s birthday. They stayed over there for two nights. Clarishka slept in her own room and Christopher and Chanelle shared another room. Clarishka is also aware of a time when Chanelle and Christopher stayed over in a hotel room in Summerstrand in PE. They loved each other and Christopher wasn’t afraid to show it. Clarishka also had photos of Chanelle and Christopher together in bed, which Chanelle had sent to her.
Kapp says she is also aware of a time where CP and Coutts spent time at a hotel in Summerstrand in PE @HeraldPE #PanayiotouTrial — Deneesha Pillay (@deneeshapillay) October 13, 2016
At times he was very jealous of Chanelle. He once went into her Facebook profile and got upset because she was chatting to other guys.
Christopher’s head hung as Clarishka spoke.
Chanelle apparently took Christopher as a partner to her sister's, Cindy Coutts, wedding.
Clarishka also told the court that she and Chanelle would sometimes visit Christopher at the Infinity Cocktail Bar which he owned, and Jayde was never present.
The three regular chatted and the telephone records which state prosecutor, Marius Stander, showed the court was proof of that. Calls between Chanelle, Clarishka and Christopher, the OK Grocer and Christopher’s landline were made regularly.
Marius revealed that Clarishka made a far more calls to Christopher than she did to Chanelle. Clarishka responded to this by saying that the pair spoke often because he relied on her advice when him and Chanelle were having trouble and she would listen to what he had to say.
According to Clarishka, Chanelle was very depressed when Christopher bought a home in Lovemore Heights for him and Jayde.
Five days after Jayde’s disappearance, Clarishka went to the OK Grocer to chat to Chanelle. She was apparently “freaked out” because she was with the police and Clarishka went home to delete all the photos of Chanelle and Christopher on her phone.
