Model’s lover kills mum for money: court
The partner of a social media influencer who allegedly murdered his mother to gain access to her life insurance appeared in the WA Supreme Court on Thursday.
Andre Zachary Rebelo was charged in November 2022 with the murder of his mother Colleen Rebelo, who died about two years earlier in May 2020.
He was the partner of social media influencer Gracie Piscopo, who said at the time of his arrest that she was in shock and disbelief about the events that had unfolded. Ms Piscopo is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Police found Ms Rebelo dead after being called to a home on Preston Point Road in Bicton, a riverside suburb of Perth, just after 2.30pm on May 25, 2020.
An obituary for Ms Rebelo at the time said she was the “devoted and loving mother of Julian, Andre, Monique and Fabian”.
Mr Rebelo was charged with her murder two years later.
In the WA Supreme Court on Thursday, Mr Rebelo, pleaded not guilty to six charges relating to his mother’s death, including murder and forging documents with intent to defraud her life insurance.
State prosecutor Brett Tooker alleged Mr Rebelo murdered his mother on May 25, 2020, and in the weeks and months after his mother’s death he tried to defraud documents including his mother’s last will and testament, a medical information request and forged a record of the investigation into her death.
He also left an electronic recorded message pretending to be another person, police allege.
Mr Tooker told the court the state had completed an investigation into Mr Rebelo’s financial position at the time of his mother’s death, and it had also obtained telco records showing Mr Rebelo’s movements on the day of his mum’s death.
He said prosecutors intended to provide that information at trial, including cell tower location data between 10am and 6pm on the day Ms Rebelo died.
“Thirty-four cell towers were used in that period,” he said.
“We have obtained an engineering report from Optus about those cell towers and have a report on 31 of those towers, we just need three more.
“Once we get all the cell tower reports we will produce a video presentation for the jury which will show the cell towers used by Rebelo between 10am and 6pm.”
Mr Rebelo was remanded in custody and is due to appear in the WA Supreme Court again on July 22.
A trial has been set for October 9 until December 3.
