Caroline Crouch's killer husband unexpectedly drops an appeal to overturn his ... trends now
A Greek pilot who killed his British wife in front of their nine-month-old daughter has dropped his appeal against his life sentence for her murder, according to reports.
Charalambos Babis Anagnostopoulos brutally killed Caroline Crouch, 19, by smothering her with a pillow at their home in Athens two years ago before trying to claim she was murdered by burglars.
However, in May 2022 he was convicted of her murder and sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison - meaning he would be eligible for release in his 50s.
The 35-year-old sparked fury among Caroline's family when he announced he would appeal the ruling, claiming he harmed his wife after fearing she would hurt their daughter.
But it has now dramatically been reported he is dropping his appeal, although her father has revealed he's struggling to take the announcement 'at face value'.
Caroline Crouch (left) was brutally murdered by her husband Charalambos Babis Anagnostopoulos (right) in front of their nine-month-old daughter (centre)
The Greek pilot, pictured here outside the Athens Court of Appeal in May, has dropped his appeal against his life sentence
Since the start of his appeal in February 2023, multiple dates have been postponed due to the defendant's lawyer being unavailable or the convict claiming he is 'ill'.
One such delay at the end of May sparked the Crouch family's lawyer to accuse the pilot of 'play acting', while her father called it 'a farce'.
On Wednesday Anagnostopoulos's lawyer, Alexandros Papaioannidis, confirmed the appeal was no longer going ahead, The Guardian reports.
He said: 'My client has decided for extremely serious reasons, which cannot be announced, to waive all legal means, specifically the appeal he filed against the judgment of the mixed jury court in Athens.'
He added: 'I will today proceed with all the [requisite] procedures… so that the trial at a secondary level does not continue.'
The news was met with relief by Caroline's father, David, a retired oil executive who raised her on Alonissos after moving to Greece with her Philippine-born mother, Susana.
He told The Guardian, he said he was 'astounded' by the decision but that if true it was 'wonderful news for my family and me'.
But he told The Sun: 'I am reluctant to take this
