As it happened: WA news on Tuesday, April 1

We’re bringing our blog to a close for the day, thank you for joining us.

Here’s a recap of some of the headlines we covered today:

• Andre Rebelo has been sentenced to life in prison, to serve a non-parole period of 25 years over the 2020 murder of his mother, Colleen Rebelo.
• Popular Margaret River curry canteen Dahl Daddys – arguably the best thing to happen to skate parks since the introduction of skateboarding to the Olympics – will finish its Margaret River skate park residency at the end of May.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says there will be a very clear choice for West Australians at the federal election – keep building with Labor, or go backwards to cuts to Medicare and schools under Peter Dutton.
• New Police Minister Reece Whitby has announced a fresh buy-back scheme for a range of firearms in addition to the new firearms laws banning rapid release action or push-button firearms which came into effect yesterday.

Thank you again for tuning in, we’ll see you back here tomorrow for more news you need to know.

Taking you to some sports news now, and the revelation that West Coast Eagles co-captain Oscar Allen has met with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell.

The meeting came as a surprise to the Eagles, but chief executive Don Pyke insists there’s nothing unusual about the skipper meeting with a rival coach.

Oscar Allen battles Fremantle captain Alex Pearce for the ball during Sunday’s western derby.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Hawthorn (4-0) are enjoying their bye this week and Mitchell headed to Perth and met with Allen, who is a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Last year, Mitchell met with Tom Barrass and Josh Battle and later recruited the key defensive pair.

Allen meeting with another coach – a day after he was kept goalless and had just four disposals in the Eagles’ loss to Fremantle – appears a bad look on the surface.

But Pyke indicated the Eagles were unfazed.

“It’s obviously news to us that that may have occurred,” Pyke told SEN radio in WA.

“But I think we’re working in a world now that’s changed from times gone past.

“I don’t think it’s unusual for clubs to meet with players and if that is the case, then clearly we’ll keep talking with Oscar about his position at the club.

“We’d love to obviously keep him here and we’re working towards that with him and his management.

“That came to bear overnight, I guess, and we’ll work through that as we do with everything.”

Pyke wouldn’t be drawn on whether, as co-captain, Allen should speak to his teammates about his meeting with Mitchell.

The 26-year-old has also reportedly attracted interest from the Brisbane Lions, Collingwood and Melbourne.

The Eagles are desperate to keep their home-grown captain, who is a superb key forward at his best but has been affected by injuries.

“Both parties would like to get a deal done and that’s always a good start when you’re negotiating something,” Pyke said.

“If Oscar wants to be here, we’d love Oscar to be here. It’s really just down to those terms and we’ve been in communication with Oscar and his management for a while on that.”

AAP

Andre Rebelo has been sentenced to life in prison, to serve a minimum non-parole period of 25 years over the 2020 murder of his mother, Colleen Rebelo.

The justice who handed down the sentence called the 29-year-old “calculated” in planning the murder but “amateurish” in his attempts to set up and claim the life insurance policies in his mother’s name.

Rebelo was emotionless as the sentence was read aloud.

Justice Fiannaca is continuing his sentencing remarks, and has now moved to the day Colleen Rebelo was found dead in her shower.

Her son, Andre Rebelo, had visited that day around her estimated time of death, but did not tell his partner he was going there, nor did he mention he had seen his mother that day to his siblings after they all gathered in the wake of her sudden death.

The ensuite shower where Colleen Rebelo was found dead by her youngest son in May 2020.Credit: WA Supreme Court

Her cause of death was never determined, but asphyxiation could not be ruled out. Toxicology ruled out poisoning and no needle marks were found on her body.

“I am satisfied on the whole ... there were various means by which you could have killed your mother that would not leave any evidence, including smothering,” Fiannaca said.

“It’s not possible to make a positive finding [on the cause of death]. The only reasonable inference is that you used personal violence.

“The only reasonable inference is that you took your mother by surprise.”

Fiannaca said placing her body in the shower to make it look like a natural death was a “gross violation of her dignity”.

While Rebelo was killing his mother, his partner was desperately trying to get hold of him on his phone, with her multiple calls and angry messages going unanswered.

In the days after the death, Rebelo started the process of claiming his mother’s life insurance claims, which he did not tell his siblings about.

Two of the claims were immediately dismissed, with Rebelo desperately pursuing the third.

In his attempt to claim the money, Rebelo submitted a fake will, a fake medical document and a fake coroner’s report.

The insurer eventually became suspicious and notified police.

“You acted out of feelings of inadequacy ... you wanted to project the image of a successful investor and you wanted to overcome the financial difficulties you found yourself in,” Fiannaca said.

The sentencing continues.

The sentencing of mum-killer Andre Rebelo has just begun in the Supreme Court of Western Australia after a delay.

Justice Bruno Fiannaca, in his opening remarks, has labelled the 2020 murder an “incomprehensible betrayal” motivated by money.

“This was a monstrous act that was integral to a fraudulent scheme in which you intended to profit on life insurance,” he said.

Andre Rebelo killed his mother Colleen Rebelo.

“[Colleen Rebelo] was a devoted mother to her children and her only grandchild, your son.”

Fiannaca , who observed Rebelo during his trial, said he told “elaborate lies” and was not a credible witness.

“You gave evidence that you applied for the life insurance policies in your mother’s name because she asked you to, [but] she was educated and able to [do it herself],” he said.

Fiannaca said Colleen Rebelo, 58, was in a good state of mind before she died, and had recently obtained a new position on a medical board after completing a university degree.

Rebelo, who began trading cryptocurrency three years before his mother’s death, portrayed himself as a knowledgeable trader, even publishing a guide, the judge told the court. He told his girlfriend Grace Piscopo that he was making large sums of money when in reality, he had made close to nothing.

As the couple created a false, carefully curated image online of a luxurious lifestyle, Rebelo was hiding his growing debt and inability to pay his bills.

Fiannaca said that is when he formulated the plan to take out multiple life insurance policies worth $1.15 million in his mother’s name, and murder her to claim those policies.

“You began making email accounts in mother’s name,” he said. “There’s no credible evidence you mother ever became aware of them.

“You provided the address to your house, you specified yourself as the sole beneficiary.”

Moving to the day Colleen Rebelo was found dead in the shower of her Bicton home, Fiannaca has recalled how Rebelo’s younger brother discovered his mother naked, with her jewellery and make-up on, slumped in the shower. Her cause of death was never determined.

The sentencing is continuing.

Some news in from Good Food reviewer Max Veenhuyzen now –popular Margaret River curry  canteen Dahl Daddys – arguably the best thing to happen to skate parks since the introduction of skateboarding to the Olympics – will finish its Margaret River skate park residency at the end of May.

Or to put it in more direct terms: you, me and anyone else who appreciates full-throttle Burmese and southern Asian cooking have just two months (or 36 more services) to get their hit of nourishing red-lentil dahl, flaky parathas cradling local fish, and all the warm and fuzzies that come from eating nourishing food in an alfresco, community setting.

You can read about it here.

The sentencing of murderer Andre Rebelo is set to start at 11am this morning and reporter Rebecca Peppiatt is in court to bring you the news as it happens.

Supreme Court of Western Australia Justice Bruno Fiannaca is the one deciding how long Rebelo spends in prison.

Andre Rebelo and Grace Piscopo, with Colleen Rebelo inset.

The court was told yesterday Rebelo was not suffering from any psychological conditions in 2020 when he went to his mother’s Bicton home and killed her to cash in on her life insurance policies.

The 28-year-old declined an evaluation from a doctor, which usually offers the sentencing justice some information that reveals what motivated a person to commit such a crime.

Instead, prosecutor Brett Tooker said it was about “the pressure he felt” to impress his girlfriend.

“He made promises to Ms Piscopo and wanted to fulfil those promises in relation to the money he was expecting,” he said.

Tooker added that Rebelo’s motive was also to get the money to clear debts he and former girlfriend Grace Piscopo had accumulated in living beyond their means with a lavish lifestyle, including an expensive rental property and finance for a costly car.

He also wanted equity to continue crypto-trading, Tooker said.

Yesterday, the court heard Rebelo’s twin sister, Monique, had submitted a victim impact statement to the court, speaking of “the very close bond” she had with her mum and the “great loss” she has suffered since her death.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says there will be a very clear choice for West Australians at the federal election – keep building with Labor, or go backwards to cuts to Medicare and schools under Peter Dutton.

“Peter Dutton won’t support WA industry and opposes our Production Tax Credit legislation. He is a risk to WA industry and its powerful economy,” Albanese said as part of his WA campaign launch.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“My determination to prioritise WA was shown by holding the 2022 campaign launch there and this year I’ll return, just as determined to back WA.

For my government WA is not an add on. It is a central focus for us

“The addition of Sam Lim, Zaneta Mascarenhas, Tracey Roberts, and Tania Lawrence to our federal team has meant WA has had a stronger voice in our Government.”

“We’ve got a fantastic Federal Labor Team in WA, we want to hold all our seats and we’re looking at more – Bullwinkel, Moore, Durack and Canning are all in the mix.

“I’ll always fight alongside my friend Roger Cook in the interest of Western Australians.”

Liberal Leader Peter Dutton says Labor would be an economic risk to WA.

New Police Minister Reece Whitby is giving a press conference, and has announced a new buy-back scheme for a range of firearms in addition to the new firearms laws banning rapid release action or push-button firearms which came into effect yesterday.

He says the state government will pursue a raft of changes to support licensed firearm owners, including financially supporting owners of the rapid release action firearms who have or will surrendered their guns before April 14.

Rapid Release Action or push-button firearms are designed to circumvent WA’s restrictions on semi-automatic weapons and under the new regulations they will be prohibited.

A new buyback period will apply for other firearms returned to WA Police for a nine-month period running from 14 April to 14 January 2026.

Last year 52,000 guns were surrendered.

The latest buyback will provide gunowners who did not participate in earlier schemes another opportunity to receive financial support for their surrendered firearms.

“These reforms are not about punishing gun owners. It’s about working with gun owners to do what’s right for Western Australia, as we must always put community safety first,” Whitby said.

Several Perth councils have attempted to jump on the April Fools bandwagon today, mostly via the magic of Photoshop, with the City of Fremantle going so far as to send out a fake media release announcing Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge had been appointed Acting Perth Lord Mayor following the election of Basil Zempilas to State Parliament.

A true multitasker.Credit: City of Fremantle

The council claimed: “Section 25.4.1 of the City of Perth Act 2016 stipulates that in the case of a Lord Mayor vacating the seat, the Mayor of Western Australia’s second city, Fremantle, automatically assumes the position.”

“Given Basil managed to juggle his job at Seven West Media and his campaign for the seat of Churchlands, all while holding the role of Lord Mayor, I don’t think I’ll find that being Mayor of Perth and Freo at the same time is too difficult. Women are renowned for multi-tasking, after all,” Fitzhardinge is quoted as saying.

The City of Kwinana reckons they’re putting jelly in the public pool to allow a higher intensity workout in the water.

Red jelly pool. Credit: Facebook

And the City of Wanneroo is renaming Lake Joondalup Lake Wanneroo.

A Trump-style gag.Credit: Facebook