Pilot strangled British wife to death after she found he was drug smuggling, her father claims

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A Greek helicopter pilot who strangled his British wife and faked a robbery to cover his tracks was involved in drug trafficking, the victim’s father has claimed.

Babis Anagnostopoulos, 34, was convicted of the murder of Caroline Crouch, 20, in May 2021 as the couple’s 11-month-old daughter slept in the house. The court earlier heard the child was found lying next to her mother’s lifeless body.

He was sentenced to life in prison for her murder and an additional 10 years for killing their dog.

The civil aviation pilot and flight instructor was also found guilty of trying to mislead police for weeks by claiming Crouch was murdered by armed intruders who had broken into their home.

David Crouch, the father of Caroline Crouch, made the claim over the killer’s drug involvement yesterday, eight months after Haralambos “Babis” Anagnostopoulos was jailed for life for her murder.

“He was involved with a drug gang,” Mr Crouch, a retired oil executive, told Antenna TV. He said that a friend who owned a restaurant in the capital had approached Anagnostopoulos shortly before the murder “asking him to move some drugs around”.

The offer, Mr Crouch said, “was to do just one job . . . and he would get paid a lot of money”.

However, when Anagnostopoulos, 35, told his wife about the offer, she threatened to leave him with their daughter and move to the Philippines.

“He was very stupid,” Mr Crouch said. “Instead of keeping his mouth shut, he told Caroline — and Caroline was a very honest person. She said she would not have anything to do with it . . . if he continued with the drug-trafficking business.”

According to Mr Crouch, Anagnostopoulos eventually attempted to leave the gang but “the druggies told him they would get rid of Caroline”.

In the end “he [Anagnostopoulos] did it”, said her father, adding: “That was the only reason he killed her because if he didn’t, he and Caroline would have been killed by the drug gang.”

Crouch’s family welcomed the jail sentence and said they hoped Anagnostopoulos would become a “broken man” in the notorious prison where he will be incarcerated.

“No amount of prison time can ever bring back my beautiful daughter but I am just gratified that the court didn’t believe the scurrilous nonsense that he produced during his testimony,” father David Crouch said.

“I am further gratified to know that he will serve his time in Korydallos Prison, the toughest prison in Greece which has one of the worst prison systems in Europe.

“When he eventually completes his sentence, which many people think he might not survive, he will be a changed man, a broken man, far older than his true age.”

He vowed the “odious” murderer would never see his daughter again.

He added: “Now that his fate is settled, Susan and I can move on. I intend to change Lydia’s name to that of her mother so that she will never be associated with this odious creature.

“I will ensure that he never gets to see his daughter or to have any contact with her whatsoever.”