A magistrate has ruled to dismiss a rape charge against a man linked to the murders of two women nearly 50 years ago, citing inadequate evidence to proceed.

Perry Kouroumblis has been ordered to stand trial in the Supreme Court for two murder charges related to the notorious Easey Street killings from January 1977.

Magistrate Brett Sonnet determined that the evidence presented was sufficiently strong to require Kouroumblis to face a jury trial on the murder charges.

In court, Kouroumblis, who is 66, declared himself “not guilty” to both murder charges while seated in the dock, accompanied by custody officers.

Kouroumblis is alleged to have fatally stabbed Suzanne Armstrong, 28, and Susan Bartlett, 27. Prosecutors also claimed that he raped Armstrong prior to the murders, a charge which has now been dismissed.

The two housemates were found dead inside their home on Easey Street in Melbourne’s inner suburb of Collingwood on January 13, 1977, by their neighbours.

Armstrong’s screaming toddler could be heard by the two women living next door.

Kouroumblis was aged 17 at the time and police also claimed he had “carnal knowledge with Suzanne Armstrong without her consent”.

That charge, from the 1970s, would now be known as rape.

However, Sonnet found there was insufficient evidence to support a conviction on that charge as a homicide detective had told the committal hearing Armstrong appeared to have been raped after she was killed.

Former detective Adrian Donehue, one of the first on the scene in 1977, said in October “she was in a classic pose you would expect to see for post-mortem rape, in my view”.

Prosecutors today argued to keep the pre-death rape charge in for a jury to decide, but the defence said the charge could not be proven on the evidence.

Sonnet agreed and struck out the rape charge.

Kouroumblis will remain in custody and returns to the Supreme Court on December 17 for a directions hearing.