Easey St, Melbourne: Police charge Perry Kouroumblis with 1977 double-murder of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett

The sister of a woman slain almost half a century ago has delivered a “dirty look” as she came face to face with the accused killer.

Perry Kouroumblis, 65, was spotted being brought into the custody centre at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court shortly before 3pm on Wednesday afternoon after two days of travel from Rome with Victoria Police detectives.

He appeared in the dock half and hour later, having a short glance around the courtroom before his eyes fixed on Magistrate Leon Fluxman.

Mr Kouroumblis sported a grey beard and untamed grey hair and was represented by Bill Doogue.

His stood, exposing a thin frame, and spoke only once to say “yep” and nodded his head as he was told he would be remanded into custody over Christmas.

Police allege Mr Kouroumblis murdered two young housemates in a “frenzied” attack nearly half a century ago in Collingwood.

Two murder charges and a rape charge were formally laid on Wednesday in relation to the deaths of Suzanne Armstrong, 27, and Susan Bartlett, 28, in January 1977.

The two women were high-school friends from Benalla in Victoria’s northeast.

Mr Kouroumblis would have been 17 years old at the time of the alleged murders.

Days later police found the women dead suffering dozens of stab wounds, although Ms Armstrong’s 16-month-old son was unharmed.

The cold-case, which came to be known as the Easey St murders, has for decades been one of Victoria Police’s highest priorities.

According to charge sheets released by the court, a warrant was issued for Mr Kouroumblis in May 19, 2020, alleging he is overseas “avoiding apprehension”.

Police allege the two women were murdered between January 10 and January 13, 1977.

Italian authorities detained Mr Kouroumblis, a dual Australian-Greek national, in September after he arrived via a flight from his home in Greece.

At the time of his arrest, Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton said the killings had “struck at the very heart of the community”.

“It was an absolutely gruesome, horrific, frenzied homicide,” Mr Patton alleged.

“If anyone believes or believed that cold cases are simply put on the backburner … I think this is testament to the fact we don’t forget.”

Mr Kouroumblis maintains his innocence and did not contest his extradition.

He was remanded into custody and will return to court in February.

Outside of court, Suzanne Armstrong’s sister Gayle Armstrong said she was feeling “half ecstatic, very scared, very appreciative to our detectives”.

“I gave him a dirty look,” she said.