Latest news with #RossJudd
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
‘No-one could locate him': Grisly story about man accused of double murder in Melbourne
A year before the chilling alleged double murder in Melbourne, signs went up around a local park about the accused killer and his dogs. Ross Judd, 34, has been accused of the gruesome murders of Athena Georgopoulos and her partner Andrew Gunn at a block of units in Mount Waverley, 16km southeast of the Melbourne CBD. The pair were found late on Monday night in the second-from-last townhouse on Adrienne Crescent. Mr Gunn, 50, had been decapitated and his head was reportedly mounted on a spike. Ms Georgopoulos, 39, was five months pregnant with her first child. Mr Judd, a homeless man who was well known in the Mount Waverley area, allegedly walked two kilometres from the crime scene to McDonald's after the killings and ordered food. Employees say he was covered in blood and accompanied by two German Shepherds — dogs that reportedly never left his side. He was arrested, barefoot and bloodied, at a nearby train station and charged with two counts of murder. Locals who spoke to say they are shocked by what happened in their sleepy suburb. But one said Mr Judd was well known and had been linked to a separate incident a year earlier. 'No one could locate him' was told that a year before the alleged double murder, Mr Judd's two dogs were involved in an incident that led locals to erect signs around a popular walking track. 'The homeless guy who is said to have killed those two people is well known in the area, especially around the Fairway Reserve walking track,' the local said. 'His two off-lead German Shepherds killed a Maltese dog last year. No one could locate him for a while and there were signs all along the path to tell people to be wary of two off-leash German Shepherds.' Fairway Reserve, which borders the popular Scotchman's Creek, is a 23-minute walk to Adrienne Crescent where the couple were found late on Monday night. The two dogs have formed part of the investigation into what led to the alleged murder. It was reported earlier this week that neighbours of Mr Gunn noted what they thought were tensions over Mr Gunn's beloved dogs. Police have been told that Mr Judd was seen around the area earlier on the evening that Mr Gunn and Ms Georgopoulos were killed with his two canines in tow. According to the Herald Sun, Mr Gunn and Mr Judd may have been involved in an argument about the sale and ownership of other dogs. Mr Gunn and his pet dog, a German shepherd called Dragon, were inseparable. Friends of Mr Gunn said: 'That's what spun me out when I heard about (the deaths), because he and his dog went everywhere together and Dragon wouldn't let anyone near him.' Dogs waited outside for Mr Judd 'soaked in blood' It comes as chilling footage appears to show Mr Judd in the hours before and after the couple's deaths. The Australian reports that Mr Judd was seen by locals at a bottle shop about 9.48pm on Monday. He purchased a number of items while his two dogs waited outside. Staff could reportedly be heard in CCTV footage saying he was 'soaked in blood'. Mr Judd fronted Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday for a brief administrative hearing, charged with two counts of murder. Flanked by two guards, he stumbled as he entered the court. 'I beg your pardon, yeah I'm all good,' he said. Mr Judd was wearing a dark-coloured T-shirt and sported a short beard and hair spiked up in a faux-hawk. At one point, he smiled and winked at members of the media. The court was told police were seeking an extra 10 weeks to prepare a brief of evidence in the case. Police allege the accused was known to the couple, and that one of the victims lived in the unit. Friend did not know she was victims' neighbour Dimmi, a woman who lived less than 100m from where the killings occurred, told this week that she was awake until midnight on Monday and did not hear a thing. She found out about the alleged murders the following day and the realisation hit her that she knew the victim. Dimmi said she was close friends with Ms Georgopoulos' mother and knew the victim as a young girl, but in a bizarre twist she was not aware that they had recently become neighbours. 'I didn't even know she lived there,' she said. 'I'm Greek too, so I was so close to her mother, but didn't see her for about 10 months. 'I've been here for 25 years, I walk along this street all the time but never saw her. 'I'm going to ring her mum, I'm in shock now. They used to come to my house all the time. 'She was a lovely girl. A very nice girl. I'm so, so sad.' Another neighbour, Mary, said she too had also never seen Ms Georgopoulos despite living several doors up the road. 'Everybody is shocked here. It's amazing that it's just happened so close. I've spoken to others in the street and they said they didn't hear anything,' she said. The alleged motive remains unclear. Detectives said they are not seeking anyone else in relation to the killings and confirmed a weapon, although not a firearm, was used in the alleged murder. Graffiti was visible on the couple's home the day after the killings, with one message reading 'Karma is not a menu'. Other phrases were also visible including 'betrayal, unpredictable, inevitable'. 'Police are aware of graffiti on the property in Mount Waverley where the bodies of two people were located last night,' a police spokesperson said. 'Homicide Squad detectives will work to determine if the graffiti is relevant to the murder investigation.'
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
‘Clean the blood': Alleged murderer's chilling bottle shop act after couple killed in Melbourne
Chilling new details have emerged of a homeless man's movements after he allegedly murdered a pregnant woman and her partner in Melbourne, with staff claiming he walked into a local bottle shop 'soaked in blood'. Ross Judd, a 34-year-old man with no fixed address, was charged with the murder of Athena Georgopoulos, 39, and her partner, Andrew Gunn, 50, whose bodies were found at a unit on Adrienne Crescent in Mount Waverley on Monday night. Mr Gunn had been found decapitated with his head reportedly mounted on a spike. Shortly after the killings, Mr Judd, who has two German Shepherds, was seen at a local bottle shop wearing a dark hoodie about 9.48pm on Monday, The Australian reports. The 34-year-old was seen purchasing a number of beverages while his two dogs waited outside for about 10 minutes. Staff could reportedly be heard in CCTV footage saying Mr Judd was 'soaked in blood'. 'He asked for napkins and water to clean the blood,' one staff member told the publication. 'I didn't want any trouble so we let him come inside and buy whatever he wants.' It comes after claims emerged on Wednesday the accused killer also dined out on fast food just minutes after the crime. Witnesses said they saw a man 'covered in blood' ordering McDonald's approximately two kilometres from where the victims were killed. The man was accompanied by two German Shepherds wearing bandannas and 'stood at the food pick up counter wiping the blood on his hands with tissues,' according to one diner. An employee at McDonald's said the man ordered a Coke Zero and two medium cheeseburgers without pickles. Earlier that night, before the alleged double murder, a man matching the description of Mr Judd was seen in footage, obtained by 7News, leaving a Melbourne Bunnings with what appeared to be a stake and a jerry can in his arms. The Bunnings is located in Notting Hill, just 1.5km from Ms Georgopoulos and Mr Gunn's Mount Waverley home. Moments later, at about 8.10pm on Monday, the same man was captured on dashcam footage approaching Ferntree Gulley Road. At 9.55pm that evening, police swarmed Ms Georgopoulos and Mr Gunn's home after neighbours heard screaming and called triple-0. Mr Judd was arrested just hours later. Footage shows the moment a man with a bloodied shirt and no shoes was handcuffed and taken away by police. Mr Judd fronted Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday for a brief administrative hearing, charged with two counts of murder. Flanked by two guards, he stumbled as he entered the court. 'I beg your pardon, yeah I'm all good,' he said. Mr Judd was wearing a dark-coloured T-shirt and sported a short beard and hair spiked up in a faux-hawk. At one point, he smiled and winked at members of the media. The court was told police were seeking an extra 10 weeks to prepare a brief of evidence in the case. Police allege the accused was known to the couple, and that one of the victims lived in the unit. Dog dispute could hold key An argument over dogs may have caused friction between Mr Gunn and his alleged murderer. Neighbours had reportedly noted tension between Mr Judd, who was known to many locals, and Mr Gunn over his beloved German Shepherd who rarely left his side. Mr Judd himself owns two German Shepherds and was often sighted around the area with the canines in tow, including on the evening Mr Gunn and Ms Georgopoulos were killed. According to the Herald Sun, Mr Gunn and Mr Judd may have been involved in an argument about the sale and ownership of other dogs. Friends of Mr Gunn told the Herald Sun: 'That's what spun me out when I heard about (the deaths), because he and his dog went everywhere together and Dragon wouldn't let anyone near him.' Expectant mother's heartbreaking final moments Hours before she was killed, Ms Georgopoulos, who was five months pregnant, had been on the phone to family and friends on Monday to reveal the gender of her baby. During the conversation, the 39-year-old told loved ones she was excited to be expecting a baby girl, the Herald Sun reports. Ms Georgopoulos and Mr Gunn had been together for around three years and were excited to welcome their miracle baby. 'She thought she would never be able to have children … because of her age,' Ms Georgopoulos' aunt, Patty Dilveridis Dilveridis, told publication. Ms Georgopoulos' mother, Petty has been left devastated by her daughter's death. Ms Georgopoulos had been her mother's primary carer, with Petty suffering from health issues. In a heartbreaking post on social media, Petty paid tribute to her daughter and future granddaughter, who was due in just four months. 'My dear, you left life so unfairly I can't yet believe that you were so happy on your last days,' she wrote in Greek on Facebook. 'We dreamt together about my grandchildren that would bring to your heart's desire and suddenly everything went out in one night, cutting the thread of your life and my grand daughter who would've been born in four months. 'Even if they separated us I will always love you forever, welcome my daughter to the life of the angels.' Neighbours shocked Half a dozen homes remained cordoned off on Adrienne Crescent in Mount Waverley on Wednesday morning as neighbours expressed their 'shock' at what had occurred. Dimmi, a woman who knew Ms Georgopoulos and her mother, said she was devastated to read about the news on Facebook. 'I came back and said to my husband, some murder happened here. On Monday when it happened, I went to bed around 12 o'clock and didn't hear anything,' Dimmi told She said Ms Georgopoulos kept to herself, so much so that she was not aware the pregnant mother was living a few doors down. 'I didn't even know she lives there. I'm Greek too, so I was so close to her mother, but didn't see her for about 10 months.' 'I've been here for 25 years, I walk along this street all the time but never saw her. 'I'm going to ring her mum, I'm in shock now. I don't know much about the girl who passed away, but I knew her when she was young. They used to come to my house all the time. 'She was a lovely girl. A very nice girl. I'm so, so sad.' Another neighbour, Mary, said she too had also never seen Ms Georgopoulos despite living several doors up the road. 'Everybody is shocked here. It's amazing that it's just happened so close. I've spoken to others in the street and they said they didn't hear anything.' A man walking his dogs on Adrienne Crescent on Wednesday morning said locals had reported some trouble from the apartment where the couple died. 'I've lived here for 30 years and we've never had problems.' Several officers remained at the scene as neighbours woke to letters in the mail from Victoria Police. 'Recently there was a serious incident in your local area,' the letter read. 'Monash Police are committed to community safety and in support we provide this letter to offer additional crime prevention assistance and reassurance. 'If you require any further assistance with welfare support services please don't hesitate to make contact.' Inside the tiny unit, officers allegedly found Mr Gunn's mutilated body next to the body of Ms Georgopoulos. The alleged motive remains unclear, though reports suggest drugs may have been a factor. Detectives said they are not seeking anyone else in relation to the killings and confirmed a weapon, although not a firearm, was used in the alleged murder. Graffiti was visible on the couple's home with one message reading 'Karma is not a menu' and references to veganism such as 'meat is murder'. Other phrases were also visible including 'betrayal, unpredictable, inevitable'. 'Police are aware of graffiti on the property in Mount Waverley where the bodies of two people were located last night,' a police spokesperson said. 'Homicide Squad detectives will work to determine if the graffiti is relevant to the murder investigation.' Speaking from the scene on Tuesday morning, Melbourne homicide squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said the man in custody was known to the pair. 'We believe that there is a link between our suspect and the address,' Inspector Thomas said. '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. 'A second call was then made that suggested it was perhaps more urgent than what the first call was and police arrived minutes later, and obviously they found the male and female inside the premises deceased. 'We believe he (the suspect) may be of no fixed place of abode. 'It appears to be targeted and our suspect is known to the address.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
How kind-hearted locals tried to take care of man accused of gruesome double murder who allegedly killed a mum-to-be and beheaded her lover before going for a burger with his dogs
Just months before a homeless man allegedly killed a pregnant woman and decapitated her partner, he turned up at a stranger's door with one shoe on and begged for help. Ross Judd, 34, surprised the resident at a home in Oakleigh, in Melbourne 's south-east, when he asked the woman to care for his two dogs while he went into hospital last December. She said at the time that she thought the whole thing was 'very strange' and had contacted police before posting in a local Facebook group. Judd is accused of killing pregnant Athena Georgopoulos, 39, and decapitating her partner Andrew Gunn, 50, before placing his head on a spike at Gunn's home in Melbourne's Mount Waverley. However, her well-meaning post sparked a fierce online debate, with many defending Judd, saying he was deeply devoted to his dogs and needed their support. One woman said she even invited him in for a hot chocolate. 'His dogs are gentle and harmless,' she wrote. 'Is he still in the area? I will look after his dogs.' Others vowed to help in the lead up to Christmas by 'dropping supplies off for him', while a local dog groomer offered to wash and clip both German shepherds for free. 'The gentleman's name is Ross and he has been living rough for about a year and a half,' said one woman, in a now-deleted post. 'He has schizophrenia which is currently trying to be managed, he has a prescription to fill when he gets his payment on Thursday. 'I asked if perhaps we could go together and get it tomorrow instead but he didn't want to. 'He is working with the Salvos trying to find accommodation which is obviously difficult with the two dogs.' She said Judd got the dogs when he had a job and a home, and urged locals to 'be kind and supportive'. She suggested her neighbours should introduce themselves to him 'and have a cuddle with the dogs'. 'It will make them all feel seen,' she added. The bodies of Ms Georgopoulos and Mr Gunn were discovered by a neighbour at the home on Adrienne Crescent just before 10pm on Monday. Judd was arrested on in the early hours of Tuesday morning at Westall train station with his two German shepherds by his side. Just a few hours earlier, shortly after 11pm, diners claimed to have seen a man matching his description walk into a McDonald's on Dandenong Rd in Clayton with the dogs, who waited patiently at the door. Police are investigating if Judd and Mr Gunn had been involved in a dispute over the ownership and sale of the dogs in the lead up to the alleged murders. Friends of Mr Gunn said he was often seen with his own beloved German shepherd, Dragon. A neighbour of the couple, who claimed to have heard arguing and barking dogs on the night of the alleged murders, spoke out on Wednesday. 'No one should have to come across what I saw down there,' said Ben Scott-Sandvik, who lives at the front unit in the block where the alleged double murders took place. He told the Daily Mail: 'I'm doing ok, but I think Athena's family is doing a lot worse. 'Nobody needs to live knowing that this sort of thing has happened to their families.' Judd appeared at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, winking after he tripped as he walked to the dock. He 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 Ms Georgopoulos was five months pregnant when she died. Daily Mail has previously revealed 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 lawyer also said Judd needed to see the custody nurse for 'follow-up medication and physical health issues'. On Wednesday, Ms Georgopoulos' mother Petty paid tribute to her daughter. '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.' Ms Georgopoulos worked as a customer service representative for several electricity and insurance companies, and had been Mr Gunn's partner for three years. The couple 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.
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Cops reveal mystery ‘dog motive' in horror double murder after pregnant woman killed and husband's head put on spike
POLICE have revealed the mysterious double murder of a pregnant woman and her decapitated husband may have been related to a dispute over dogs. Athena Georgopoulos, 39, was found dead alongside her husband Andrew Gunn, 50, whose head is understood to have been stuck to a stick. 6 6 Ross Judd, a 34-year-old homeless man, was arrested at Westall train station in Melbourne, Australia, and was later charged with two counts of murder. Working to establish a motive for the brutal killings, cops have now revealed that the ordeal may have been related to an argument about dogs. The alleged quarrel took place between Matthew, who owned a german shepherd, and Judd, who was found with two dogs of the same breed when he was arrested. Matthew's dog was named Dragon, local neighbours reported. One neighbour alleged they heared loud arguing and shouting as well as continuous barking from dogs coming from the victims' home - only an hour before their deaths. Judd was reportedly spotted with two dogs when he allegedly visited a McDonald's about an hour after the bodies were found. Athena was five months pregnant when she died and was expecting a baby girl. The neighbour who made the harrowing discovery, Ben Scott-Sandvik, told the Herald Sun: "I mean, no one should have to come across what I saw down there." He added: "And nobody needs to live knowing that this sort of thing has happened to their families.' Cops dramatically swarmed the property the couple were in on Monday night after a neighbour heard screams and alerted police. Brit faces 20 years in jail as she pleads guilty to killing dad of two with e-scooter Suspected killer Judd appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday. A police prosecutor said: "It's a complex crime scene, a significant amount of DNA." Grim footage of his arrest reportedly showed the suspect dressed in a blood-stained white T-shirt while being gripped by an officer. The man appears on his knees before he is pulled to his feet on the station platform as another officer points at the ground. Police allege the accused murderer was known to the couple, and that one of the victims lived in the unit. An alleged motive for remains unclear - but it has been speculated the case may be drug-related. 6 6 Chilling graffiti sprayed across the couple's home read: 'Karma is not a menu.' Vegan slogans like 'meat is murder' were also plastered across the property wall, alongside haunting words like 'betrayal", "unpredictable" and "inevitable'. The messy graffiti, which was sprayed in luminous yellow, green and black paint also included derogatory and aggressive phrases like "U R Gay" and "Enough is Enough". A police spokesperson said: 'Police are aware of graffiti on the property in Mount Waverley where the bodies of two people were located last night. 'Homicide Squad detectives will work to determine if the graffiti is relevant to the murder investigation.' Local inspector Dean Thomas said the arrested man was known to the pair. He said on Tuesday morning: "We believe that there is a link between our suspect and the address." The officer added: "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. 'A second call was then made that suggested it was perhaps more urgent than what the first call was and police arrived minutes later, and obviously they found the male and female inside the premises deceased. 'We believe he [the suspect] may be of no fixed place of abode. 'It appears to be targeted and our suspect is known to the address.' Judd is due to face court again on January 13, 2026.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
Chilling new claim about what happened before alleged beheading horror in Melbourne: 'That's what spun me out'
Friends of a couple killed in a horrific double murder say the male victim may have been involved in a dispute with the alleged killer over the sale and ownership of dogs. Ross Judd, 34, is alleged to have killed pregnant woman Athena Georgopoulos, 39, and decapitated her partner Andrew Gunn, 50, before putting the father-to-be's head on a spike. Their bodies were found by a neighbour at a residence on Adrienne Crescent in Mount Waverley, Melbourne about 9.55pm on Monday. Judd was arrested at Westall train station in the city's south-east about 1.40am on Tuesday. Just a few hours earlier, shortly after 11pm, diners claimed to have seen a man matching his description walk into a McDonald's on Dandenong Rd in Clayton with two large German shepherds, who waited patiently at the door. It has now been suggested Judd and Mr Gunn may have entered a dispute over the ownership and sale of some dogs at the time of the murder. Friends of Mr Gunn told the Herald Sun he was often seen with his beloved German shepherd, Dragon. Elise Browne said Dragon was 'very protective' of Mr Gunn, adding: 'Morph was always with his dog.' 'That's what spun me out when I heard about (the deaths), because he and his dog went everywhere together and Dragon wouldn't let anyone near him,' she said. Pictures shared of Judd's dogs and their distinctives scarves at McDonald's prompted some people to comment they had seen the well-behaved dogs and the man around the area previously. A neighbour of the couple, who claimed to have heard arguing and barking dogs on the night of the alleged murders, spoke out on Wednesday. '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. He told the Herald Sun 'nobody needs to live knowing that this sort of thing has happened to their families'. Judd appeared at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, winking after he tripped as he walked to the dock. He 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 has previously revealed 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 also 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.' Ms Georgopoulos worked as a customer service representative for several electricity and insurance companies, and had been Mr Gunn's partner for three years. The couple 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.
