Caroline Crouch’s mum gave her son-in-law £17,000 just days before he allegedly murdered his wife and lied to police in a failed bid to cover it up, it is claimed.
Babis Anagnostopoulos, 33, was charged with premeditated murder after he admitted to smothering Ms Crouch, 20, at their home in an Athens suburb in May.
Greek media reports claim Ms Crouch’s mother Susan Dela Cuesta, handed 20,000 euros (about £17,000) to Anagnostopoulos ten days before he killed his wife in front of their 11-month-old daughter Lydia.
He initially told police that his wife had been murdered by a gang of intruders, but weeks later confessed to smothering Ms Crouch with a pillow and also killing the dog in an attempt to strengthen the cover up.
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(Image: Babis Anagnostopoulos/Instagram)
Thanassis Harmanis, who is representing Ms Crouch’s mother in child custody proceedings, claims she gave Anagnostopoulos the cash days before the killing.
Mr Harmanis also claims Ms Crouch’s family gave Anagnostopoulos 2,200 euros for a coffin and 2,000 euros to pay for Ms Crouch’s body to be transported from Athens to the island of Alonnisos, where she was raised by her Filipina mother and British father David Crouch.
The lawyer made the claims as he hit back at helicopter pilot Anagnostopoulos, who alleged in a prison interview that he had paid for his wife’s coffin.
(Image: Alpha/Youtube)
Mr Harmanis said: “How much is the truth of the claim of a man who for 37 days forced the authorities to look for three robbers who [killed] the mother of his child and their dog?
“The amazing direction, the unparalleled acting talent brought tears to the eyes of people with empathy.”
Anagnostopoulos set police off on a hunt for three burglars following his wife’s death, but detectives say he became a suspect early on and confessed last month.
(Image: ALEXNDROS VLACHOS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Police said he admitted to smothering Ms Crouch and killing the family’s pet dog, and tying himself up before calling for help.
Anagnostopoulos removed a memory card from a CCTV camera in the living room of his home, and mobile phone data showed him moving between floors at a time when he claimed he was tied up.
It is expected that he will claim the killing was not premeditated and allege his wife had been “verbally and physically aggressive towards him”, resulting in him being in a “blurred” state of mind.
