CAROLINE Crouch’s heartbroken family have welcomed her killer husband’s life sentence after he was found guilty of her murder.
They said although nothing can bring back their “beautiful” daughter, they can take comfort in the fact Babis Anagnostopoulos is locked up in one of Europe’s toughest prisons.
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Devastated dad David, 79, vowed that the vile Greek helicopter pilot will never see the couple’s 11-month-old daughter Lydia again.
Anagnostopoulos was found guilty of suffocating tragic Caroline in front of their baby before faking a botched break-in to cover up his crime.
The sick 34-year-old even strangled their puppy Roxy and hung him from a banister with his leash to make “the crime more credible”.
Susan and David Crouch have now broken their silence after the killer was jailed for the 20-year-old’s premeditated murder.
The dad said: “No amount of prison time can ever bring back my beautiful daughter but I am just gratified that the court didn’t believe the scurrilous nonsense that he produced during his testimony.
“I am further gratified to know that he will serve his time in Korydallos Prison, the toughest prison in Greece which has one of the worst prison systems in Europe.
“When he eventually completes his sentence, which many people think he might not survive, he will be a changed man, a broken man, far older than his true age.
“Now that his fate is settled, Susan and I can move on.
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“I intend to change Lydia’s name to that of her mother so that she will never be associated with this odious creature.
“I will ensure that he never gets to see his daughter or to have any contact with her whatsoever.”
The grandparents were granted full custody of baby Lydia after Anagnostopoulos’ parents also tried to gain custody.
The twisted killer had earlier claimed that he wanted to raise his baby daughter from prison – much to the Coruch family’s fury.
Anagnostopoulos was hauled back to the maximum security prison Korydallos after his court hearing yesterday.
The hell hole is known for overcrowding, gang violence and housing anarchist terrorists.
Sources said Anagnostopoulos is sharing a cell with two other VIP prisoners, former Greek National Theatre chief Dimitris Lignadis, who is accused of raping three young boys and a man, and actor Petros Filipiddis, accused of rape.
He will spend around 18 years behind bars.
But the disgraced dad managed to avoid the main wings of the terrifying prison whose squalid conditions have led it to be condemned as a lawless hellhole.
Shameless Anagnostopoulos made a bid not to be held in custody ahead of his trial claiming that “there is no evidence of my guilt for the crimes I am accused of” reports in.gr.
Earlier he showed no emotion as he was led past a crowd shouting “rot in prison” while handcuffed and wearing a bulletproof vest.
The Crouch family’s lawyer, Athanasios Harmanis, said after the sentencing: “Caroline is now a symbol in the struggle against violence against women.
“I believe we had a fair trial at the highest level and we did not fall for the charade the defendant played for the 37 days after she was killed and during the court sessions.
“It was a heinous crime – he held down the woman he said was the love of his life for five minutes while she struggled in his hands but he did not stop until she was dead.”
Anagnostopoulos had begged for a reduced sentence, arguing that the murder was a ‘crime of passion’ committed after Miss Crouch had refused to apologise for pushing their then 11-month-old daughter off her bed.
He had told the Athens court: “I pressed her against her pillow.
“She was screaming. I thought she had fainted [but] then I could tell she was dead because her eyes were open.
“I started crying, pulling at my hair and pacing across the room trying to work out what to do.”
