As it happened: WA news on Tuesday, November 19

And that’s where we’ll leave the blog for today, thank you for joining us.

Some tragic news making headlines today with the death of a 52-year-old man hit by a car during a rampage in Bayswater this morning.

We also brought you the latest from the murder trial of Andre Rebelo, where his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child – Instagram star Grace Piscopo – has been cross-examined by prosecutors.

And Liberals leader Libby Mettam has accused the WA media of being “obsessed” with Perth Lord Mayor (and Churchlands hopeful) Basil Zempilas. Is she right? Or is she just trying to avoid questions about her own future leading the party?

Thanks again for joining us, scroll back to read more of the day’s news, and we’ll see you again tomorrow morning for more live coverage.

To the WA Supreme Court now, where Instagram model Grace Piscopo has been accused of lying about the whereabouts of her ex-boyfriend Andre Rebelo on the morning his mother died.

Piscopo told the court Rebelo ran errands on the morning of May 25, 2020, before dropping clothes off at his mum’s house.

Andre Rebelo and Grace Piscopo, with Colleen Rebelo inset.

But a police statement shown to her on the witness stand stated that in September 2020 – four months after the incident – she told police she believed Rebelo had been at home with her all day.

“There’s nothing in the statement about Andre going to the post office, or going to drop off clothes at his mother’s house is there?” prosecutor Brett Tooker asked her.

“I didn’t think it was important,” Piscopo replied.

Tooker reminded her police were asking her directly about Rebelo’s whereabouts on the day his mother died.

“It was scary, and I just told them what I knew and what I could remember,” she said.

“You told them that the two of you had been at home together,” Tooker said.

“Andre is the father of your child – you still love him don’t you? You’re trying to protect him aren’t you?”

“I’m telling the truth the best I can,” Piscopo responded.

“I’m saying you’ve come to court to give evidence to help Andre,” Tooker said.

“I came to court because I have been spoken about the entirety of the trial and I want to have my voice. Everything I do is for my son.

“I’m just following my heart and doing the right thing. Right now, I’m just telling the truth to help everyone.”

Read Rebecca Peppiatt’s full report from the courtroom here.

A breaking update on our last post: a 52-year-old man who was hit by a car during that incident in Bayswater earlier today has died in hospital.

Police said he sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital, but later died.

The alleged driver was arrested a short distance away from the scene after crashing his car into a traffic light on the corner of Railway Parade and Rose Avenue, police said.

The man in his 30s is in police custody while he is being medically examined.

Police have arrested an erratic driver who allegedly ploughed into a pedestrian and several other cars with two young children in the back of his vehicle.

Inspector Jason Van Der Ende said the incident unfolded in the Bayswater town centre on Railway Parade about 11am Tuesday.

The police incident in Bayswater on Tuesday.Credit: 9News Perth

Van Der Ende said police immediately responded to reports of a male driver in a silver Holden Commodore acting erratically and potentially armed with a knife.

“It’s during this time we understand there was an incident between the driver of the silver Commodore and another person struck by the vehicle,” he said.

Read more here. 

Heading overseas now, where Perth grandmother Donna Nelson’s Japanese drug smuggling trial has entered its second day.

The 58-year-old is accused of attempting to smuggle 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine into the country in January 2023, but claims she didn’t know the drugs were hidden in her suitcase, and that she was the victim of a Nigerian love scam.

Family members of Australian citizen Donna Nelson head to the Chiba District Court on the opening day of the trial. Credit: Eleanor Wilson

9 News Perth reporter Jamie Freestone is in the court, and provided an update to Radio 6PR earlier today.

“Today we’ve started with the second customs officer who was at Narita Airport in Japan last year when Donna Nelson was stopped,” he said.

“This officer was speaking in English before an interpreter was called.

“They did an X-ray on the suitcase and the customs officer said Donna Nelson said she could see a strange green shadow when they were doing the X-ray. When the customs officer was asking, ‘What do you think that is?’ he said she voluntarily said, ‘It could be drugs’.

“The customs officer was asked, ‘Did you talk about drugs first?’ and he said no, she mentioned drugs first, and he thought that she knew there was a drug inside the suitcase.”

Nelson’s defence has queried why Nelson was asked questions about the suitcase before an interpreter was called, with Nelson crying as she was led to the inspection room.

Freestone also commented on the challenges of reporting on the trial, with the English interpreter inside the courtroom speaking in a whisper, with Nelson the only one able to clearly hear her through an earpiece.

Liberal leader Libby Mettam has accused WA media of being “obsessed” with City of Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas – who is also her candidate for the seat of Churchlands – as she brushed aside questions over her future.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon Mettam grew frustrated about continued questions over Zempilas and her future as party leader.

“I would prefer that the media were not so obsessed with Basil Zempilas,” she said.

“My interest is not in talking about internal matters.

“I feel I’ve answered every question in relation to the leadership matter, and I have made it clear I’m not going anywhere. I will lead the party to the 2025 election.”

Speculation of Zempilas taking the reins ahead of the March election reached fever pitch on the weekend after Zempilas told The Sunday Times he would not challenge Mettam for the leadership.

However, he was more ambiguous when asked whether he could see himself leading the party to the poll if the party dumped her or Mettam herself resigned.

“It’s a pretty out-there question, and it’s not something that I have thought about because it’s not something I expect to happen,” he said.

“I’m a team player. I play by the rules.”

Mettam refused to answer a question over whether the party had done any polling to compare public sentiment over Mettam and Zempilas as leaders.

“I’m not answering questions in relation to that. I’m confident in my leadership,” she said.

Alarmed by the recent release of research by WA-based foundation Minderoo about the potential impacts of polyester clothing and plastic transfers on clothing for children?

Irritated by big-box department stores carrying super-gendered kids’ clothing lines, or splashing Bluey and Paw Patrol over everything in sight?

Stevie and Adele Peek.

Well, check out this gender-neutral eco-friendly online children’s clothing store just launched by Broome eight-year-old Stevie, a Yawuru, Bunuba and Jabirr Jabirr girl, and her mother Adele Peek, a Yawuru/Bunuba woman.

Fire Monkey was inspired by and features Stevie’s artwork across a wide range of T-shirt colours.

“We created Fire Monkey to bring my daughter’s creative dreams to reality,” said Adele.

“Our goal is to provide clothing that sparks joy and helps all children, regardless of gender, feel connected, seen and heard.”

Peek told us that beyond wanting to share her daughter’s talent, she didn’t like mainstream “Disney princess” style clothing, or the prevalence of merchandising in children’s wear.

“Nor did I like that it was only traditional girl or boy colours available in certain cuts and sizes,” Peek said.

Peek said the company used print-on-demand service Printful, which applied water-based inks directly onto fabrics and does not use plastic-based transfer materials.

She said it also partnered with suppliers adhering to responsible manufacturing practices.

The Fire Monkey website has further information about the sustainability credentials of each piece.

One in six West Australians over 45 are living with a lung disease – but have no idea.

Respiratory Care WA has revealed the data around Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease aiming to raise awareness that they have free testing and bulk-billed services to diagnose and manage it.

This compares to the current estimated out-of-pocket cost of for diagnosis and specialist review across WA which is $3500.

Respiratory Care WA is encouraging people to mark World COPD Day on Wednesday by taking its free lung function test.

Specialist respiratory physician Dr Sanjay Ramakrishnan, who has worked at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and volunteers at Respiratory Care WA as a clinical advisor, said many were unaware of having lost lung function until symptoms become severe.

“It’s important we reach everyone with this message because there are people in WA struggling to play sports, fearing the onset of colder weather, and basically missing out on life – with no idea why,” he said.

“Fear plays a part in this, but we reassure everyone who comes through that they will breathe easier – literally and figuratively – when they have answers.”

Respiratory Care WA chief-executive Anne Hallam said a significant number of people were living with COPD unwittingly.

“Often people believe their symptoms are normal or just part of everyday life,” she said.

“Sometimes there is also fear around a potential diagnosis or the cost of consultation and ongoing treatment, which is where [we are] really able to come into play.”

WA Police and other emergency services are currently responding to an incident on the corner of Coode Street and Railway Parade in Bayswater, where a man has been seriously injured.

The scene in Bayswater. Credit: Facebook

The incident is contained and a person is assisting with inquiries.

Police resources will remain at the scene.

Motorists are asked to avoid the area, including Whatley Crescent, King William Street and Cantlebury Road.

Police say there is no ongoing threat to public safety.

A witness claimed on social media that a man had allegedly been “driving around accosting people in their cars” and threatening them. She said she had called police after being allegedly “yelled at”.

Staying in court for now, prosecutor Brett Tooker has begun his cross-examination of Andre Rebelo’s former partner, Grace Piscopo.

He is asking her about the statement she gave police in September, shortly after Rebelo was arrested on suspicion of forging records to try to access $1.15 million in life insurance policies he’d set up in his mother’s name days before she died.

Grace Piscopo arriving at court yesterday. Credit: Colin Murty

In the police interview, she said Rebelo had told her his cryptocurrency investments were “blowing up” and that he was going to withdraw $500,000. This is the same amount as one of the life insurance policy payouts he was pursuing.

Prosecutors alleged Rebelo’s attempts to be a cryptocurrency dealer had earned him just $22 in profit, and that in reality, he was being hounded by debt collectors and had applied for the dole.

Tooker has asked Piscopo about Rebelo’s claims of making a big withdrawal from his crypto accounts:

Tooker: You told the detective that you and Andre discussed this on the day his mum died.

Piscopo: I don’t remember.

Tooker: You initially told [the police officer] that you had a conversation with Andre two weeks before his mother’s death that he was going to withdraw $500,000.

Piscopo: I don’t remember.

Tooker: Then you said the conversation happened about a week before his mother’s death.

Piscopo: I don’t remember.