Life Sentence for Murder of Wife in Hot Tub
A delivery driver who drowned his wife in their garden hot tub has been sentenced to a minimum of 16-and-a-half years in prison before parole eligibility, following a ruling by a judge.
Andrew Georgiou, 45, pleaded guilty to the murder of Carol Georgiou, 42, a mother of two, at their home in Holywell Place, Milton Keynes, on 2 November 2024.
Prosecutors revealed that Georgiou could not accept the end of their 19-year marriage and became enraged after a night out.
During the sentencing hearing at Aylesbury Crown Court, Judge Jonathan Cooper described the killing as "brutal" and imposed a mandatory life sentence on Tuesday.
"Carol met her death knowing she was with the person she had chosen to live with, the person she had chosen to have children with, and the person to whom she had given her most intimate trust."
Carol had entered the hot tub in the early hours after attending a nightclub with her husband.
The judge noted that evidence indicated she was "intoxicated and naked" and had struggled before drowning.
"You had time during the course of your struggle to reflect,"Judge Cooper told Georgiou,
"...and desist."
Georgiou waited approximately 40 minutes before contacting emergency services. Initially, he denied murder, suggesting his wife died from natural causes, only admitting guilt in late 2025.
Suspicion arose from Carol's sisters, one of whom alerted the police to their concerns.
The judge condemned Georgiou's conduct following the murder as "appalling" and a "calculated attempt to mislead everyone."
Georgiou and Carol met in 2000, married in June 2005, and had two sons who are now adults.
Background and Motive
Prosecutor Barrister Pavlos Panayi KC informed the court that Carol had become resolute in pursuing a divorce by the time of her death.
Panayi stated that Georgiou was aware of Carol's involvement with another man and "would not accept" the marriage's end.
The judge heard that tensions escalated in the early hours of 2 November 2024.
Panayi explained that Georgiou "reacted with rage" upon hearing the words "we're done." He then attacked and drowned Carol as she sat in their garden hot tub.
Neighbouring CCTV captured sounds of splashing and Carol fighting for her life.
Defence Statement
Jenni Dempster KC, representing the defence, highlighted that the murder occurred against the backdrop of a divorce.
Dempster read from a letter written by Georgiou during the hearing:
"I feel overwhelmed with shame and regret for what I have done."
"No day passes without Carol being in my mind, and I miss her terribly."
"I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused."
Family Impact and Tributes
The judge was informed that Carol was one of six sisters, who shared how the murder had deeply affected them.
One sister, Suzanne Butler, described the act as "monstrous," adding:
"Since Carol was taken from us our world has turned grey and dark."
Another sister, Rebekah Eldridge, said the siblings had been a "six-piece puzzle."
"Now that six-piece puzzle is broken,"she told the judge.
"I think about how terrified [Carol] must have been."
She also remarked that Carol's husband had been a trusted family member.
"None of us could ever have imagined what he was capable of,"she said.
"For months he lied to us... he even made jokes."
Judge Cooper commended Carol's relatives for their dignity throughout the two-day sentencing hearing.
After sentencing Georgiou and his removal from the dock, the judge expressed hope that the family would now "make some loud noise in Carol's memory."
The judge also praised the police for their "remarkable" investigative efforts.
Outside the court, relatives shared that Carol was affectionately known as "the flamingo." They wore scarves adorned with flamingo images in her memory during the hearing.
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