The Perth man accused of murdering his mother days after setting up several life insurance policies in her name has told the jury she wanted $1.5 million of cover in the event of her death and asked him to “shop around” on her behalf less than a month before she died.
Andre Rebelo, 28, took to the stand in the WA Supreme Court on Monday after the state’s case against him wrapped up.
Andre Rebelo.
He admits going to extraordinary measures, including forgery and lying to “many people” to try and access up to $1 million in life insurance funds after his mother’s sudden unexplained death in Bicton in May 2020, but denies killing her.
But during his evidence, he told the jury his mum came to him on May 1 and asked him for help to take out life insurance policies in her name.
“She mentioned the worries of Covid, and she was getting closer to 60 and was very hyper-conscious of that,” Rebelo told the court.
“She said that cancer ran in the family, and she wanted me to see if I could shop around and find her the best deal because she was not a savvy online shopper.
“I said, ‘you don’t need life insurance, what for? You’re not sick or unwell’. That’s when she mentioned the family history of bowel cancer.”
Rebelo claims his mother told him she wanted $1.5 million in policies to cover all of the mortgage and to “take care of the kids and family and Romeo as well.”
The jury previously heard from Rebelo’s siblings that they knew nothing of the policies which were taken out five days before their mother’s death.
Each of them listed Rebelo as the sole beneficiary.
Earlier on Monday Rebelo told the jury during his extreme attempts to access the money after his mum’s death, he said he used an online voice generating service as well as a number spruiking service to fake a call from Ms Rebelo’s long-time psychologist Narina Sidhu to the insurance company to tell them she was not suicidal.
He told the jury he had “no idea” how his mother died, with an autopsy unable to determine the cause of death after she was found slumped over in her ensuite shower.
The Rebelo family: Monique, Andre with then-girlfriend Gracie Piscopo, Fabian and Colleen Rebelo. Picture: Supplied
He admits seeing his mother on the morning of her death “sometime before lunch”, but claims he left her after realising he had many missed calls and messages from his then-partner, Grace Piscopo, so needed to return home.
“I had to tell my mum I was leaving,” he said.
Prosecutors allege he ignored those calls over a 45-minute period as they occurred while he was in the process of killing his mother.
Rebelo was asked about his family life after his father left when he was a teenager, and has said his mother “did her absolute best” to financially support her four children in the aftermath, and was a nurturing mother.
He also revealed he was aware his mum had a life insurance policy when her children were younger, but had surrendered it later down the track.
“How did you know she had a life insurance policy?” Rebelo’s barrister Anthony Elliot asked.
“She was going through a hard time after the divorce, she made some comments like, ‘it would be better if I was gone’.”
Elliot then probed Rebelo and Piscopo’s financial situation in detail, asking him about how she made money as a successful social media model.
Rebelo told how his now ex-girlfriend would pick out clothes for brands such as White Fox Boutique and Fashion Nova who offered up to six figures for her to post photos of herself wearing them.
He said Piscopo, was employed through an agency called Neon Models who facilitated contracts between her and clothing and accessories brands.
Murder accused Andre Rebelo pictured with his former partner.Credit: Instagram
Piscopo would then negotiate figures for either a one photo assignment or a series over the course of six months.
“They would say, pick out 20 pieces of clothing, post four photos, one a week, for x amount of dollars, post the photos at a set time on a set day and then you would get paid an advance and then the rest at the end,” Rebelo said.
He added that along with business posts, a ‘lifestyle blogger’ would have to post personal photos “to make it seem authentic”.
Rebelo revealed Piscopo would command figures of between $40,000 and $100,000 for a six-month contract and would often be gifted free goods, trips and flights.
He claims she was once contracted to fly to the Maldives to make a YouTube video, which was all expenses paid and that the couple often flew to Sydney and Melbourne for events.
Now in its fifth week, the trial has previously heard evidence of how Rebelo and Piscopo were heavily in debt, with both of them attempting to claim centrelink benefits and withdraw money from their superannuation funds.
Prosecutors allege Rebelo murdered his mother to access up to $1 million in life insurance policies to maintain his “plastic existence”.
The trial continues.