THE Greek pilot who killed his British spouse earlier than attempting to dupe cops with an internet of lies is dragging her grieving household via extra agony in court docket.
Shameless Babis Anagnostopoulos seems to be making an attempt to play the nation’s authorized system as he tries to shorten his sentence for murdering Caroline Crouch.
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The Brit mum, 20, was brutally killed by twisted Babis, 35, in front of their baby at their dwelling in Glyka Nera, Greece, in Might 2021.
Warped Babis then unashamedly tried to cowl up his evil crime by telling police that Caroline had been killed by a gang throughout a break-in.
He’s now cruelly pouring extra ache on Caroline’s devastated household as he refused to even flip up for his appeals court docket trial on Tuesday.
Brazen Babis arrogantly informed judges he was too busy making ready to sit down exams to get into regulation college.
His lawyer, Alexandros Papaioannidis, also failed to appear – blaming a clash of cases that had forced him to be elsewhere.
In a note sent to the mixed-jury tribunal, Babis said he had appointed Papaioannidis’ assistant to represent him.
But even that turned out to be a ruse when the court learned that the female lawyer had also failed to turn up “because she was ill.”
As tensions mounted in the room, the Crouch family’s mild-mannered lawyer Athanasios Haramanis, lost his composure.
He shouted: “Nowhere in Europe does this happen. I have travelled to this court five times and only four hours of proceedings have taken place.”
Legal insiders said it was clear the pilot is trying to buy time in the hope that public opinion turns in his favour – even if that means upsetting his late wife’s family.
Caroline’s dad David has mentioned he’s watching the trial intently within the hope that his despised son-in-law is handled as mercilessly as he was by a decrease court docket final yr.
Babis was labelled manipulative and crafty by knowledgeable witnesses who attended his first trial.
Judges discovered him responsible not solely of Caroline’s homicide – described as “agonising and extended” by a coroner – but in addition of the killing of her beloved pet Roxy whose neck the UK-trained aviator additionally admitted snapping.
Eleni Mylonopoulou, a psychologist who held counselling periods with Caroline when the younger Brit started to worry her marriage was collapsing, informed Greek TV final week she was satisfied Babis was a traditional case “of a person with a narcissistic persona dysfunction.”
‘COLD & IMMORAL’
She mentioned: “For me he’s somebody who’s chilly, immoral, has no regret or a hint of empathy.
“The truth that he has distorted the entire state of affairs, in the way in which he has, is proof of his manipulative persona.”
It was, she added, particularly stunning that he would place Lydia subsequent to her mom’s lifeless physique after he had suffocated her.
The pilot’s authorized group, who hope to have his 27-year sentence minimize citing “mitigating circumstances”, have lined up six witnesses to talk in his protection.
Amongst them are Babis’ parents and a younger Ukrainian lady, described by the Greek media as a journalist and entrepreneur.
The mysterious lady has known as Babis’ sentence “monstrous and unfair.”
Babis’ lawyer has not dominated out requesting that Caroline’s dad even be known as to the court docket in order that he may be cross-examined.
The retired gasoline and oil government, who’s wheelchair-bound, has resolutely refused to attend the trial calling it “absurd”.
David, 78, who has already introduced he’s promoting the island villa the place Caroline was raised, plans to affix her mum, Susan, and three-year-old Lydia, within the Philippines the place they just lately moved as soon as the proceedings are over.
The appeals court docket choose dominated Tuesday that the trial would proceed on June 1.
Babis is anticipated to be transferred to Athens from the top-security Malandrinos prison in central Greece the place he has been locked up for the previous yr.
Exiting the court docket constructing, Haramanis, the Crouch household lawyer, steered the pilot was losing his time finding out regulation.
He mentioned: “The accused is busting a intestine needlessly to get into regulation college.
“He ought to be attempting to get into drama college as a result of [as an actor] he has expertise.”
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