5 days ago
Neighbour relives the gruesome scene he found at the house of horror where a pregnant woman was allegedly murdered and her lover decapitated and his head left on a spike
A neighbour has told of the gruesome scene he discovered when he entered the Melbourne house of horror where a pregnant woman was allegedly murdered and her partner's decapitated head left on a spike.
'No one should have to come across what I saw down there,' said Ben Scott-Sandvik, who lives at the front unit in Mount Waverley block where the alleged double-murders took place.
'And nobody needs to live knowing that this sort of thing has happened to their families.'
Mr Scott-Sandvik spoke to the Herald Sun after the accused killer Ross Judd, 34, appeared at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
Judd smiled and winked as he faced court charged with murdering pregnant woman Athena Georgopoulos, 39, and decapitating her partner Andrew Gunn, 50, before putting the father-to-be's head on a spike.
The homeless accused killer winked after he tripped as he came into the dock but then smiled throughout the brief filing hearing over the two counts of murder.
The prosecution asked the court for a ten-week extension because 'it's a complex crime scene with significant amounts of DNA evidence'.
The prosecutor also said autopsies were expected to be delayed, as alleged murder victim Athena Georgopoulos, 39, was five months pregnant when she died.
Daily Mail can reveal Ms Georgopoulos was set to face a plea hearing at Ringwood Magistrates' Court on September 1 for car theft and burglary charges.
The alleged killer's legal aid lawyer did not oppose the unusually lengthy period to serve the brief, but told the court it was her client's first time in custody.
Judd also faces charges regarding previous allegations of making threats, the Daily Mail can reveal.
The lawyer also said Judd needed to see the custody nurse for 'follow-up medication and physical health issues'.
Ms Georgopoulos was allegedly killed alongside Mr Gunn in what police believe was a targeted attack at their Mount Waverley home, in Melbourne's south-east.
On Wednesday, her mother Petty Georgopoulos paid tribute to her daughter in a heartbreaking post on social media.
'My little heart, you left life so unfairly that I still cannot believe it,' she said in the touching Facebook post.
'In recent days you were so happy - we made dreams together for our little granddaughter that you were going to bring into your life.
'And suddenly, everything was erased in one night, when an [alleged] murderer cut the thread of your life and of my little granddaughter's life that you were going to bring into the world in four months.
'No matter how much they separated us, I will never stop loving you. Forever. Until we meet again, my little girl, in the light of the angels.'
She and Mr Gunn were found dead after police received calls from neighbours on Monday night about yelling coming from the property, and heavily armed police swarmed the Adrienne Crescent home at 9.55pm.
Inside the small unit, officers allegedly found Mr Gunn's mutilated body next to the body of Ms Georgopoulos.
Judd was arrested with two large dogs just hours later at nearby Westall Railway Station, about 6km from the crime scene, at around 1.40am on Tuesday.
Police allege Judd was known to the couple and that one of the victims lived in the unit, but they are still trying to establish the connection and alleged motive.
Ms Georgopoulos' aunt Patty Dilveridis said her niece was excited by the prospect of motherhood, and her mother Petty had recently met Mr Gunn's parents to celebrate their impending grandparenthood.
The dead woman worked as a customer service representative for several electricity and insurance companies, and had been Mr Gunn's partner for three years.
Ms Georgopoulos' cousin also posted a heartfelt tribute to the slain mum-to-be.
'My heart is completely broken,' the heartfelt post read.
'My dear cousin, you and your unborn baby were taken away too soon in the most devastating and senseless way. There are no words for this kind of pain - no way to understand why someone so full of life, love and promise could be taken away from us so violently.
'Rest in peace Athena, and your baby girl. We will never forget you. We will honour your memory and carry your love with us forever.
'May God grant your parents, brother, and your loved ones strength during this difficult time.'
Several of Ms Georgopoulos' friends also posted tributes to the mum-to-be.
'Rest in peace sweet soul. Thank you for every smile you brought to my face. Thank you for every laugh (of which there were many).
'You were part of what made LUMO so fun to work at. I can't imagine what you went through in the end. You deserved so much better. Love you girl. Fly high,' one friend posted.
Another wrote: 'Rest in peace Athena... what has this world come to? May you and your baby fly high. My condolences go out to your loved ones.'
Another friend posted: 'May you rest in peace Athena with your family... my sincerest sympathies are with your family and friends who will all feel the impact of your loss.'
Another wrote: 'R.I.P Tina I'm lost for words how the f*** can someone [allegedly] just kill someone?'
Investigators are examining if graffiti scrawled outside the property - including the phrases 'U R Gay,' 'Enough is Enough,' 'Betrayal,' and 'Karma' - is linked to the horror inside.
The messages were sprayed in luminous yellow-green and black paint on the home's fence and exterior walls.
Detective Inspector Dean Thomas from the Homicide Squad said police received several calls regarding the incident at the address prior to the grim discovery.
'Police were called at about 9.20pm in relation to a welfare check at the address based on some yelling that was heard from the property,' he said.
'A second call was then made that suggested it was perhaps more urgent than the first call and police arrived minutes later, and obviously they found the male and female inside the premises deceased.'
A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed investigators were probing the graffiti.
'Police are aware of graffiti on the property in Mount Waverley where the bodies of two people were located last night,' the spokesperson said.
'Homicide Squad detectives will work to determine if the graffiti is relevant to the murder investigation.'
Det Insp Thomas said heavily armed specialist officers, assisted by the police helicopter, tracked the arrested man to the station, where he was taken into custody.
'The person that we took into custody was in the company of two large dogs, I think that would look fairly obvious to people who may have been in the area,' he added.
