A husband who killed his British wife has been accused today of "play-acting" after again postponing his appeal against his murder conviction.
Charalambos Babis Anagnostopoulos' stop-start appeal has plodded along and multiple dates have been postponed as his lawyer has been unwell.
The hearing today at Athens' appeal court was adjourned within minutes, leading to the victim's lawyer claiming the man is "play acting".
Anagnostopoulos, 35, murdered Caroline Crouch, 20, in front of their nine-month-old daughter Lydia at their home in Greece 2021.
He was convicted of the brutal murder and sentenced to 27 years in May last year.
But since then, he has claimed he reacted as he did only out of fear for his daughter, believing Caroline would hurt her.
Mail Online reports Thanassis Harmarnis, who is representing Ms Crouch's family, said: "What we are seeing in this case is something that is unheard of anywhere else in Europe and it is trying my patience and that of the court.
"Babis may well be studying for his law exams in prison so he can get a law degree but in my opinion he should apply for acting school. It is a joke. It's play acting"
He told the publication he estimates the court has sat for just four hours since the appeal started back in February.
Ms Crouch's father David, a retired engineer, called the situation a 'farce', adding: "What I can't understand is why the Greek judicial system allows all this buggering about, why can't they just tell them to present their case and if they don't, tough luck."
Ms Crouch was found tied and gagged beside the bed in May 2021 after Anagnostopoulos himself called police.
But Anagnostopoulos, a helicopter pilot who married Ms Crouch in July 2019, created a web of lies, claiming burglars had killed the woman after breaking into their upmarket apartment in a suburb of the Greek capital Athens.
In the latest session at the city's appeal court, Anagnostopoulos's lawyer Alexandros Papaioannides said he was unable to attend and it then emerged his substitute was not qualified to act for the defendant who was also not in court.
The president of the court reluctantly agreed to an adjournment until Thursday but stressed it must proceed and scheduled further hearings for next month so the case could be completed.
In February, the Crouch family spoke out against the appeal.
David said: "It is absolutely despicable that my daughter's killer is trying to get his prison sentence reduced because of his 'good behaviour'.
"The crime committed by the murderer, that of femicide, is a heinous crime that should deserve particularly severe punishment."
