If Instagram was to be believed, Perth man Andre Rebelo and his influencer girlfriend Grace Piscopo were living a dream life involving luxury holidays, expensive cars and a glamorous home. But on Tuesday, the Supreme Court of WA heard that behind the scenes the couple was living on borrowed money, applying for Centrelink benefits, and ultimately filed for bankruptcy. Andre Rebelo and his then girlfriend Grace Piscopo and his mother Colleen Rebelo.
Rebelo is on trial accused of murdering his 58-year-old mother, Colleen Rebelo, who was found dead in the shower by her youngest son in May 2020. How she died could not be determined by a coroner and Rebelo has denied any involvement. He did, however, admit forging documents to try and access $500,000 worth of life insurance policies he took out in his mum’s name just a week before her sudden death.
On Tuesday, three weeks into Rebelo’s seven-week trial, WA Police financial crimes officer Darren Stammers showed the jury a detailed analysis of the couple’s financial affairs in the two years leading up to Ms Rebelo’s death. Prosecutors allege Rebelo murdered his mother in her Bicton home in a desperate attempt to get his hands on the life insurance policies that would not only alleviate him of a mountain of debt, but help him maintain the glamorous lifestyle he had developed with his Instagram-famous girlfriend. Piscopo was a model whose career was taking off.
On Tuesday, Stammers told the court she made $141,000 business inco.