Two workmates charged with murder of restaurant manager Eleni Pachou

Jun 8 2008 By Norman Silvester

A MAN and woman were yesterday charged with the murder of restaurant manager Eleni Pachou.

The man, 37, and woman, 43, were arrested in the morning and quizzed by detectives before being formally accused.

They are expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court tomorrow. The body of Eleni, 25, was found by a cleaner in Di Maggio's pizzeria in Ruthven Lane, in Glasgow's west end, nine days ago.

She had numerous stab wounds and a four-figure sum of cash was missing.

Last night, Strathclyde Police said: "A 37-year-old man and 43-year-old woman have been arrested and are presently detained in police custody in connection with her death.

"A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal."

Detectives refused to comment on where the pair were arrested.

Eleni came to Scotland from Greece as a student in October 2006 and became manager of Di Maggio's just a few weeks ago.

The murder shocked Scotland - coming less than 24 hours after the body of sales consultant Moira Jones was found in Queen's Park in the city's south side.

The investigation into Eleni's death centred on a mystery call she received on her mobile shortly before her death.

Detectives last week analysed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and a massive door-to-door inquiry was carried out. It is not clear whether the stolen money was the main motive for Eleni's murder.

But there was more cash than usual in the restaurant on Thursday due to the number of students celebrating the end of their exams.

Police questioned more than 2000 people in Ruthven Lane and adjoining Byres Road on Thursday.

The seven-hour operation was a bid to jog people's memories of the night Eleni was killed. Text lines were also set up for people to supply information - a first in a Strathclyde murder inquiry.

Last week, Eleni's father and brother travelled from their home near Athens to make impassioned public appeals for information.

Dad Yiannis, 65, and brother Spiros, 27, said the forced delay in burying Eleni was the "most terrible of punishments" for a Greek family.