THE heartbroken dad of murdered Caroline Crouch has slammed her killer husband and blasted the appeal to get his sentence reduced.
Babis Anagnostopoulos, 34, was jailed for life for murdering the Brit mum, 20, in front of their baby at their home in Glyka Nera, Greece, in May 2021.
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The twisted killer was sent to maximum security prison Korydallos last year after being found guilty of strangling Caroline to death and killing her beloved dog before faking a botched break-in.
The Greek chopper pilot launched an appeal to get his 27-year sentence reduced.
Speaking about his son-in-law’s appeal, Caroline’s devastated dad David Crouch told Greek media: “It is absolutely despicable that my daughter’s killer is trying to get his prison sentence reduced because of his ‘good behaviour.’
“The crime committed by the murderer, that of femicide, is a heinous crime that should deserve particularly severe punishment.
“In my opinion, men who kill their wives, for whatever reason, are the lowest of the low, ranking alongside paedophiles.
“I think it will be a sad day for women when the murderer of a defenceless woman who slept with her child will serve less than his full prison sentence. This man is beyond contempt.”
The pilot’s legal team are arguing that no mitigating circumstances were taken into account in the previous trial.
Anagnostopoulos, who has appointed a new attorney, Katerina Mavroidi, has argued he had acted in the “heat of the moment” after rowing with Crouch over their daughter because “Caroline had pushed Lydia away.”
He also argues that he continued claiming his family had been targeted by an Albanian gang, fearing little Lydia would be taken away.
The pilot arrived at court for the hearing accompanied by an armed guard while Caroline’s mum Susan was also present.
Former gas executive Mr Crouch, who lives on the Greek island of Alonissos told the Mail Online: “The killer tried to get the hearing rescheduled until 2024 but the lawyer objected and it will now go ahead next month.
“The mother still believes in her son’s innocence and tries to show my beloved daughter in a bad light which I will not tolerate.
The trial was adjourned until March 28.
It comes after last month, David claimed Caroline’s “stupid” partner Babis killed his daughter because she had threatened to leave him if he continued trafficking drugs in an explosive interview on Greek TV.
He claimed the jailed pilot had confessed all in a typed letter he had sent him.
Mr Crouch revealed that his granddaughter Lydia was no longer in Alonissos, where her mother is buried, but living very “happily” abroad in the Philippines where she was being cared for by his “famous artist” stepdaughter and her prominent business husband.
Caroline’s death made headlines across the world as the young mum was found brutally murdered next to her 11-month-old daughter, Lydia.
Babis put up the pretence that his wife was a victim of a ruthless gang that broke into their maisonette on the outskirts of Athens.
He played the role of grieving husband for 37 days, sobbing to reporters, visiting his wife’s grave and even comforting Caroline’s heartbroken parents.
But his sick cover-up was rumbled after police pulled together a stack of digital evidence that disrupted his timeline of the alleged botched robbery.
It was only after eight hours of interrogation that he finally gave up the charade and confessed to the crime himself.
Anagnostopoulos was convicted in May last year of premeditated murder, animal abuse and two counts of perverting the course of justice.
As well as being jailed for life, he was also handed and 11-year sentence for killing the dog and fined 21,000 Euros.
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Aliki Kraterou
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