Caroline Crouch: Greek pilot jailed for life for murdering British wife and strangling dog

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A Greek helicopter pilot has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of brutally murdering his British-Greek wife at their home and strangling their dog in a bid to cover up the killing.

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.

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.”

He originally told police he was tied up by four robbers who put a gun to his child’s head, strangled his wife, and then got away with £10,000 in cash.

But police said that examination of mobile devices, a smartwatch with a heart rate monitor used by Crouch, and cameras, had established a timeline that contradicted with the pilot’s testimony.

He also strangled the family dog, Roxy, in order to give weight to his narrative that the family had been victim to intruders demanding they be handed the family’s hidden valuables, an Athens court heard.

The incident stirred up national outrage, prompting authorities to pledge a €300,000 (£254,000) reward for information about the crime.

The killer eventually abandoned the burglary story in favour of claiming his wife had died following an altercation between the pair over their daughter’s care. But prosecutors maintained that Anagnostopoulos intentionally suffocated her while she slept in their home.

He had previously admitted to killing his wife but denied premeditated murder, which carries a life sentence.

More than a month after his wife’s death, Anagnostopoulos was arrested after attending a memorial service for her near her family home on the Aegean Sea island of Alonissos. He was witnessed embracing Crouch’s mother before being led away.

Last week, the pilot reportedly told the court he had “no excuses” for killing his wife as he begged for forgiveness.

Anagnostopoulos was said to have told the trial in Athens he would recount “exactly what happened in every detail and honestly. It will not be an excuse, I am not trying to rationalise anything from that day”.

He added: “There are no excuses for what happened a year ago. Not to myself, not to anyone. What was lost a year ago is irreplaceable.

“She didn’t deserve what happened, our dog didn’t deserve it or anyone else. The word ‘sorry’ is not enough. No matter how many times I tell her now that I’m sorry she won’t enjoy her life.”

Crouch’s diary entries read out in court last Tuesday claimed she told Anagnostopoulos that she wanted to end their relationship. It also revealed she wanted to leave her husband before she fell pregnant but did not want her daughter to grow up without both parents.

Crouch eventually told Anagnostopoulos that she wanted to end their relationship in July 2020, when their baby was a month old.

Reports from the trial last week suggested Anagnostopoulos broke down in tears as the court heard extracts from her diary detailing their turbulent relationship.

Discussing his daughter on Wednesday, Anagnostopoulos told the court: “No matter how many times I say sorry to our child for not growing up next to her mother or to my mother-in-law for trusting me, it makes no difference. There are no words.”