The murder of Jayde Panayiotou grabbed headlines across the country, the schoolteacher found brutally murdered after she was reported missing.

Since then many disturbing details have come to light, but none more so than the alleged involvement of husband Christopher.

Now today, after an extensive wait, the trial will finally begin in the Port Elizabeth High Court.

Here’s a quick video recap of where we stand at present:

Over the eight weeks set down for trial we’ll see a heated legal battle between state and defence, with TimesLive having this to say:

Prosecutor Marius Stander has telltale courtroom characteristics.

When he becomes excited during cross-examination‚ he tugs on his robe before rubbing his hands together.

His record speaks for itself and the Panayiotou murder trial is no different.

He has been involved from the get-go‚ working tirelessly in the days leading up to a sting operation which saw Christopher Panayiotou nabbed for his wife’s murder‚ and in the countless applications thereafter he has managed to keep the businessman behind bars for well over a year.

At times‚ Stander pushed the limits‚ encroaching on unfamiliar territory as he argued civil applications against some of the top silks in the country retained by the Panayiotou family.

And‚ for the most part‚ Stander came out on top.

In a case which also relied heavily on circumstantial evidence‚ finalised in front of Judge Dayalin Chetty last month‚ Stander secured life sentences for a hardened criminal and his two hitmen who executed a state witness in July.

Looks like the State have landed themselves a bulldog of sorts – how about Christopher’s defence?

His presence is somewhat larger than life. His booming voice can be heard in the corridors of the courthouse before he is seen.

Advocate Terry Price SC [below] has been described as many things.

He is hot-headed‚ cocky and a bit bullish‚ but his colleagues and clients will tell you that he has a heart of gold and will go to the ends of the earth to prove someone’s innocence.

He has built up a strong relationship with the Panayiotou family‚ which is evident from his protective stance‚ particularly over Christopher’s mother…

From prosecutor to magistrate to the Eastern Cape’s foremost defence attorney‚ at the age of 52 Alwyn Griebenow has worn many hats.

After obtaining his law degree‚ Griebenow [below] went on to work for the state as a prosecutor before becoming a magistrate.

In 1994‚ he opened up his own practice and has built up an elite client list.

He is charismatic‚ confident and incredibly smart‚ making him the obvious choice of counsel for Christopher Panayiotou.

Having worked closely with advocate Terry Price throughout the years‚ the two – although vastly different – have always made a formidable team.

Advocate Peter Daubermann’s vast experience will come in handy as he has arguably one of the toughest and most important roles in the Panayiotou trial.

Daubermann [above]‚ who has until now used a more reserved approach when compared to his learned friends and has managed to steer clear of public scrutiny‚ is representing alleged hitmen Sinethemba Nemembe and Zolani Sibeko.

The tech-savvy Daubermann lives up to his name. He is known for his intelligent‚ aggressive cross-examination and has made a name for himself in the Eastern Cape.

Here’s EWN with what might make or break the state’s case:

The State will rely heavily on the testimony of the alleged middleman in the murder trial of Port Elizabeth teacher Jayde Panayiotou…

The 29-year-old businessman is believed to have hired men to kill his wife in April last year, with the help of his former employee, Luthando Siyoni…

Siyoni, who worked as a bouncer at Panayiotou’s Infinity night club, will be one of the key witnesses in the murder trial.

Siyoni furnished authorities with information after his arrest, which allegedly incriminates Panayiotou as the mastermind behind his wife’s kidnapping and murder.

The onus will be on the State to prove Panayiotou did indeed call on his former employee to recruit hitmen to kill his spouse.

The defence counsel will from the onset try to poke holes in Siyoni’s version of events, as they try to prove their theory, that he was beaten into making a confession.