Anagnostopoulos, through his lawyer Alexandros Papaioannidis, stated that he had made this decision for "extremely serious reasons," without providing further explanation. The appeal proceedings, which had been ongoing since May, will now come to an end.
The pilot had previously argued that his 27-year sentence should be reduced due to mitigating circumstances surrounding the crime, where he claimed he killed his 19-year-old wife in a moment of heated passion. However, with this recent development, he will be required to serve his full prison term, which includes an additional 11.5 years for killing the couple's puppy and obstructing justice. Moreover, any possibility of parole has been eliminated, ensuring that he will remain incarcerated until his late 50s when he is eventually released from the high-security Malandrinos jail in Greece.
The unexpected decision comes just a week before the appeals trial was set to resume in Athens. Anagnostopoulos had prepared six defence witnesses, including his parents, who were scheduled to testify later this month.
The shocking revelation brings an end to the legal battle surrounding the horrific crime, leaving many unanswered questions and a sense of justice served for Caroline Crouch, whose life was tragically cut short by her husband's callous actions.