Accused Easey Street double murderer Perry Kouroumblis, 66, has told police he was with a friend on the night two women were brutally stabbed in Collingwood in 1977, as his original alibi and alternate suspects were revealed in court.
Kouroumblis, who was 17 at the time, is charged with the murders of Suzanne Armstrong, 27, and Susan Bartlett, 28, and the rape of Ms Armstrong. He has indicated he intends to plead not guilty to all charges.
During the committal hearing, the court heard that police stopped Kouroumblis near the scene on 14 January 1977, a day after the women’s bodies were found. A knife in a sheath was seized from his car, which he claimed to have found at Victoria Park train station.
Questioned the next day, Kouroumblis said he had been visiting a friend in Keele Street, Collingwood, and later returned to the station with that friend, who verified the alibi.
His defence barrister, Dermot Dann, suggested there were multiple alternate suspects, including crime reporter John Grant, a former employee of The Truth newspaper.
The women’s neighbour Ilona Miklosvary confirmed she had told police in the 1970s that she thought Grant was “capable of murdering Ms Armstrong and Ms Bartlett” after witnessing his drunken behaviour.
The court also heard from witnesses who discovered the bloodied crime scene on 13 January 1977. Both women had been stabbed dozens of times, while Ms Armstrong’s 16-month-old son Gregory was found unharmed in another room.
Former officer Gary Looker, one of the first on scene, described the house as “deadly quiet” before finding Ms Bartlett’s body near the front door and Ms Armstrong’s in a bedroom. The committal hearing will continue in late November.
