A 42-year-old man accused of killing his 32-year-old wife in their Athens apartment in November 2024 gave testimony before a criminal court on Monday, admitting to the killing and detailing his actions in its aftermath.
During his testimony, the defendant claimed that his relationship with his wife had been troubled long before the crime. He alleged that she had been involved in an extramarital relationship with a childhood friend, while insisting that he continued to love her and did not want their family to break apart.
“I loved her very much,” he told the court, explaining that he did not want his children to experience their parents’ separation.
According to the defendant, the fatal incident occurred during an argument in which his wife allegedly told him she intended to leave and take their children with her. He also claimed she told him that one of the children was not his biological son.
“At that moment I lost control,” he said. “My whole life was my children.”
The defendant told the court that he struck his wife once with a hammer, causing her to fall to the ground. He said he then attempted to resuscitate her but received no response.
Describing the events that followed, he admitted placing a bag over her head and wrapping her body before moving it into a wardrobe. He said he later prepared food for the children and took them to school the next morning before going to work.
When questioned by the presiding judge about why he did not immediately call emergency services, the defendant said he was not thinking rationally and was struggling with how to explain the situation to his children and relatives.
He further testified that he eventually moved the body to the apartment’s attic, where it remained hidden. The judge challenged his explanation, noting the effort involved in transporting and concealing the body.
The defendant ultimately told the court that he later contacted police, confessed to the killing and showed officers both the body and the weapon used in the crime.
