The Greek pilot who murdered his Brit wife said her puppy cried as he hung it from the bannister to make his alibi about a home invasion more credible.
Babis Anagnostopoulos, 34, was found guilty today of the premeditated murder of the 20-year-old mother of his child and the unlawful slaughter of her rescue pooch Roxy.
Anagnostopoulos was handed life in prison for Caroline's death - with an extra 11-and-a-half years added on for murdering her puppy thanks to a new law rolled out in Greece last year.
Earlier in the trial he described how Roxy "cried for a few seconds" as he hung her body from the bannister of their ground floor flat.
The cruel abuse happened downstairs from where his wife was laying dead beside their 11-month-old daughter - who was thankfully unharmed.
Recalling the moment he took Roxy's life, he told the court: "I went downstairs where the dog was. I took the dog with the leash and put on the collar. I hung it from the stairs. I couldn't hurt it with a knife or a tool."
"I couldn't do anything with my hands. I picked up the dog and tied it to the bannister. I left the living room so I wouldn't see it, so I went to the kitchen. It cried for a few seconds. Lydia was already upstairs in her room."
In a spate of confessions, he also admitted the series of events leading up to him smothering Caroline while listening to her desperate muffled screams, the MailOnline reports.
He held a hand over his wife's mouth and a pillow over her face after she failed to apologise for a blazing row they had about their 11-month-old daughter, Lydia.
When asked about his motivations, he told the judge: "Yes, I wanted the incident to end and for her to apologise."
He then fell asleep before heading upstairs to reconcile, but found Caroline still fuming and unreceptive, he said.
It was at this point that Anagnostopoulos says he climbed on top of her despite her rejections.
He said he didn't know why he decided to get on top of her, and that the murder that followed was caused by a "boiling state of mind."
The helicopter pilot said he "started crying", pacing the room and pulling his hair when he realised Caroline was dead.
He made up the botched robbery scenario on the spot, claiming he did so because he didn't want to go to prison and was concerned their daughter would lose her family, he said.
He resorted to slaying the defenceless pooch because he feared no one would believe him if the scene "wasn't violent".
The 34-year-old said he thought the "only way" to convince investigators was by hurting an animal.
Caroline rescued her beloved pet pooch Roxy from an animal sanctuary in Glyka Nera in December 2020.
In an emotional tribute post after her death, the animal welfare charity said they recalled the moment Caroline and baby Lydia welcomed Roxy as their new family member.
They said: "Rest in peace to you and our little Roxy. Together from up there you will protect little Lydia."
