Greek cops set trap for Caroline Crouch's killer husband fearing he would 'flee country' after 'perfect crime'

GREEK cops set up a trap to capture Caroline Crouch's killer husband as they feared he would "flee the country."

Babis Anagnostopoulos staged a fake robbery and blamed the death of his wife on a gang of criminals while he was playing the role of the grieving widower after committing a "perfect crime," a psychologist has claimed.

He quickly became the focus of the investigation after cops discovered his story did not match with the data they had found on the couple's smart devices.

Babis was allowed to attend a memorial service for Caroline on the island of Alonnisos as cops were patiently waiting for the right moment.

The trap had to be set as police feared the 33-year-old would attempt to flee the country after the ceremony, reports Proto Thema.

Officers who travelled to the island by helicopter approached him and asked him to follow them in order to identify a suspect they had allegedly arrested at Athen's airport Eleftherios Venizelos.

Hariklia Theodorou, reportedly a close friend of the family, told Proto Thema that the cops asked him not to "make a scene" because of the media presence and to follow them as discreetly as possible.

However, moments later they revealed they had actually arrested him as the main suspect in Caroline's murder.

Coincidentally the officer who handcuffed him was Caroline's childhood friend, the outlet reported.

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

The pilot reportedly begged the officers to let him visit Caroline's grave and was later pictured hugging her mum before taking off.

Shortly afterwards, after eight hours of interrogation, Babis confessed to killing the Brit mum after a late night row the couple was having on May 11 when she threatened to leave him and take their baby daughter Lydia.

The 33-year-old admitted he staged a fake robbery and blamed his wife's killing on a fictional gang of Albanian burglars.

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 over a month.

Psychologist Athanasios Habesis analysed the pilot's behaviour and told Proto Thema he clearly believed he had committed the "prefect crime."

He said: "What the 32-year-old did was reprehensible and disgusting.

"This man had planned in his mind the 'perfect crime' and what he has done is the result of his behaviour.

"It was definitely not an impulsive decision."

He continues by explaining that the fact that the couple was in separate rooms arguing through texts already proves a distance between them.

He said that while their photos on social media showed the perfect life, in reality their relationship was problematic.

Speaking about Babis he added: "I was impressed when he admitted to killing his wife. That means he was mentally exhausted.

"After a certain point he lost control, he could no longer bear the pressure and I think he will soon begin to realise his heinous act.

"He has not realised yet he killed the mother of his child."

The psychologist concluded the 33-year-old was "fighting to be a good actor and not be uncovered as the killer."

Meanwhile, a coroner's report has revealed that Caroline suffered "in agony" as her "killer" husband strangled her for more than five minutes.

In the police file, is also included the 20-year-old's diary where she writes about her relationship with her husband and her plans to leave him.

Caroline's mum claimed she did not suspect her daughter's husband "for a second."

HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:

Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:

• Always keep your phone nearby.
• Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
• If you are in danger, call 999.
• Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, where you call 999 and press ‘55’ if you can’t safely speak.
• Always keep some money or a bank card on you, including change in case you need a pay phone or bus fare.
• If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to move towards an exit if you are inside the house and get your phone in case you need to call for help.
• Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other potential weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom.

Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available every day from 10am-6pm or email [email protected]

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 – [email protected].

You can also call the freephone 24-hour ­National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

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