Police: Greek pilot confirmed forensics on wife death

A Greek helicopter pilot was charged on Friday with murder of his British-Greek wife, whose death he h initially claimed was caused by burglars during a brutal invasion of ir home on outskirts of Ans.

Pilot and flight instructor Babis Anagnostopoulos, 33, was arraigned for May 11 killing of Caroline Crouch, 20, who died of suffocation.

In brief remarks to reporters, his lawyer confirmed that he h confessed to crime, ding that he h expressed remorse for his actions.

Police investigators said analysis of data from a smartwatch worn by victim h helped reveal inconsistencies in pilot’s account of events.

Ans police on Friday said that Anagnostopoulos has now confirmed what forensics experts suggested happened to Crouch.

pilot h publicly claimed that armed robbers broke into couple’s home and tied up and gagged him and his wife in ir bedroom as ir months-old daughter slept. He h said men stole cash before escaping.

account shocked nation and prompted government officials to announce a 300,000 euro (365,000 US dollars) reward for information about crime.

ir daughter was unharmed, but family dog was found choked to death on a leash, hanging from a staircase rail, authorities said.

Speaking at a press conference in Ans on Friday, director of greater Ans homicide division said police were unable to find evidence of any ults or than Anagnostopoulos and Crouch at property when crime took place.

Costas Hassiotis said this meant investigation "h to turn to husband".

Hassiotis said that Anagnostopoulos confirmed he h killed his wife and staged his house in such a way so as to make it appear as though re h been a robbery.

He ded that suspect h tied his own hands along with those of his de wife.

"It was done in order to direct place in order to convince police that it is a robbery," he said.

examination of mobile devices, a smartwatch with a heart rate monitor used by Crouch, and cameras, h established a timeline that contricted with pilot’s testimony.

Forensic experts established time a memory card h been removed from security camera, ding to evidence against pilot.

Anagnostopoulos was detained after authorities summoned him for questioning Thursday while he was attending a memorial service for Crouch on Aegean Sea island of Alonissos, where she grew up.

He was flown to Ans by helicopter from nearby island of Skiathos, and interviewed for more than six hours before police announced that he was a suspect.

In a May 16 post on Instagram, Anagnostopoulos uploed an undated photograph of couple on a trip to Portugal for a wedding photo shoot, writing: “Always toger. Farewell, my love.”