Caroline Crouch’s husband placed their screaming baby daughter next to her dead body in sick plot to stage burglary
CAROLINE Crouch's husband placed their baby beside her body after he murdered her in a bid to cover up the crime, Greek prosecutors say.
Babis Anagnostopoulos, 33, was arrested by police on Thursday after confessing to killing 20-year-old Brit Caroline in a fit of rage.
🔵 Read our Caroline Crouch live blog for the very latest updates...
The Greek pilot told police he "begged" intruders who supposedly broke into the house not harm his family moments before they allegedly strangled Crouch to death in front of their 11-month-old baby.
However, an examination of the couple's mobile devices, a fitbit and camera uncovered inconsistencies in Anagnostopoulos' story.
The man claimed he had been tied up by robbers but police claim he moved around the house at the time of the break-in, scuttling from the attic to the basement, according to Sky News.
Greek investigator Nikos Rigas told state TV that Anagnostopoulos had "tried to create a crime scene...that looked convincing".
"The dog was killed, and his baby was placed next to the body of the murdered mother," Rigas said.
Lydia, the couple's daughter, was not harmed.
The couple's daughter was being cared for by her father until he was charged with strangling his wife and killing their dog on Wednesday.
A judge is now being asked to decide if her mother’s relatives in Alonissos will look after her or if Anagnostopoulos's family should.
The pilot has been told by his younger brother Fotis, that he only has sympathy for Crouch’s parents, Susan and David.
Anagnostopoulos’ brother has remained on Alonissos, the idyllic island where Crouch spent most of her life after her parents settled in Greece, to "comfort her parents."
A pal on the island told SunOnline: "He is in a state of shock and absolutely distraught. All of his sympathy is with Susan and David. He wants nothing to do with his brother."
Anagnostopoulos’ being charged with the brutal murder of his own wife has reportedly had a devastating effect on his family, well-respected members in their professions: his father is an architect and his mother a teacher.
It comes as:
- Caroline's husband confessed to killing his wife
- He was described as a "top actor" by police
- Caroline's mum didn't suspect her daughter's husband "for a second"
- Caroline's diary reveals she was planning to leave her husband
- Babis admitted he was planning to hide Caroline's body
- Caroline's smartwatch showed her heart rate surged as husband "smothered her"
Hiraklia Thoedorou, a close friend of Crouch's Filipina mum, told Greek media: "If you knew their parents, they are like saints, very educated.
"I don't know how they will handle this. Babis and Fotis meant everything to them. They gave them their all."
The parents have been looking after Lydia, Crouch's eleventh-month-old daughter, since May 11th, but now a public prosecutor has been assigned with deciding whose custody the child should now be given.
He also told them he managed to tie his hands behind his legs and then "tied my legs to the boards of the bed".
Previously it had been revealed that black belt kickboxer Crouch had fought her husband for ten minutes before she died.
Anagnostopoulos spent more than a month claiming his wife was a victim of a gang of Albanian thieves who broke into the couple's home in Glyka Nera, near Athens.
The helicopter pilot has been described as a "top-class actor" by police as he was pretending to be devastated by his wife's death for 38 days.
Cops travelled to the island of Alonnisos where a memorial service for Crouch took place and asked him to follow them in order to give new testimony about the murder probe.
It is reported he told cops he "panicked" when he realised he had killed Crouch after holding her down in bed as the couple were having a late night row.
He also said he was considering hiding her body in a bid to mislead the police and claimed he did so because he didn't want his daughter to grow up without parents.
He even admitted killing the family's puppy in order to make the crime scene more plausible.
Meanwhile, heart-breaking entries of Caroline's diary revealed the couple's troubled relationship and that the young mum was planning to leave Babis for a long time.
Crouch's stunned mother admitted she did not suspect her daughter's husband "for a second."
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Anagnostopoulos arrived to court yesterday, wearing a bullet-proof vest and was charged with intentional homicide and animal abuse as well as with false accusations.
He remains in custody at Hellenic Police Attica Headquarters and is expected to present his defence on Tuesday.
SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.