Raymond Papapavlou murder case to be heard in Polokwane High Court
The case against a 26-year-old Simone Papapavlou and Patricia Lee Smith (23) has been transferred to the city.Both accused are out on bail.
LIMPOPO – The Limpopo High Court, Polokwane Division has fixed November 14-25 next year to hear the case against 26-year-old Simone Papapavlou and her co-accused Patricia Lee Smith (23).
Papapavlou, wife of the deceased, and Smith are accused of conspiring to kill her husband Raymond Gregory during an incident last year which they reportedly orchestrated to look like a farm attack.
Papapavlou faces charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice. Smith is charged with conspiracy to commit the murder and is currently out on R5 000 bail.
Papapavlou was granted bail of R15 000 by the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court on Thursday (August 26) and the case was postponed to 2022, said Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority.
Raymond was shot and killed on a farm in the Rooikraal area outside Groblersdal in October 2020.
Read more: Man’s ‘bullet-ridden’ body found at farmhouse
Smith was arrested 22 days later, on October 27 and Papapavlou on August 12 after ‘rigorous’ police investigations linked her to the incident.
Police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapleo said in an earlier report that investigations revealed the incident, which was initially thought to be a farm attack, “is an apparent blatant and orchestrated murder”.
The provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Nneke Ledwaba welcomed the arrest of Papapavlou. She applauded the investigative team for potentially uncovering what transpired during the incident which led to the arrest of those involved.
