Husband of Briton killed in break-in in Greece “begged thieves not to harm their families”

The husband of a Briton killed in front of their 11-month-old child in Greece has “begged” the burglars not to harm his family.

The father said the criminals threatened to kill the baby if the couple did not say where their money and jewelry was kept.

Caroline Crouch, 20, was tortured and then strangled during the home invasion near Athens in the early hours of Tuesday.

Her husband, helicopter pilot Charalambos Anagnostopoulos, 32, was first tied up and gagged after intruders reportedly barged in through a downstairs window.

The thieves then went to another room where Ms. Couch was sleeping next to her child and questioned her.

Mr Charalambos said at one point he heard the burglars tell his partner “tell us where the money is, we will kill the baby”, according to local media.

Martial arts-trained Ms. Crouch is believed to have started screaming and then suffocated.

The family dog ​​was also killed, while the baby was unharmed.

Mr Anagnostopoulos managed to call the police after loosening his ties.

Investigators believe the killers knew the couple had savings hidden in the house and kept the couple under surveillance before they struck.

Speaking to Greek TV, Mr Anagnostopoulos said: “I cannot describe it. I cannot describe it.

“I hope that doesn’t happen to anyone else.

“The police are doing their job and they will catch up with them. I hope that what my family and my wife’s family went through will never happen again.

“We begged them. We told them where the money was.”

The Greek government has offered a reward of £ 260,000 for information relating to the incident.

Public Order Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis said the murder was “particularly heinous”.

He added: “You rarely find such barbarity in Greece, in Greek society, even among criminals.”