By Rebecca Peppiatt
Andre Rebelo’s former girlfriend has taken to the witness stand to give evidence in support of him during the final days of his murder trial.
Grace Piscopo has been at the centre of the 5½-week trial in WA’s Supreme Court, during which state prosecutors alleged Rebelo killed his mother Colleen Rebelo in May, 2020 to access life insurance payouts to pay off debts and keep up the couple’s glamorous lifestyle.
Grace Piscopo arriving at court.Credit: Colin Murty
Piscopo’s financial situation, business and personal life have been dissected during weeks of evidence about whether Rebelo was in dire straits financially when he took out three life insurance policies in his mum’s name days before her untimely and unexplained death.
Rebelo is accused of setting up policies worth more than $1 million in Ms Rebelo’s name without her knowledge before killing her in her home and then placing her body into the shower to make it look like she had died of natural causes.
He has denied killing his mother, but admitted forging documents – including a will, coroner’s report and a phone call from his mum’s psychologist – when he tried to cash in on the biggest of the three policies.
Rebelo told the jury last week he thought a coroner was going to determine his mother had taken her own life and wanted to get the money to share between himself and his siblings before the insurance company voided the policy.
Andre Rebelo and his former girlfriend, Grace Piscopo.Credit: Instagram
He also claimed his mother asked him to take out the insurance policies because she was approaching 60 and was worried about leaving her children financially strapped and responsible for her Bicton home’s mortgage.
Rebelo finished giving evidence on Monday morning, and his defence team was thought to have wrapped up its case as the trial was drawing to a close before Rebelo’s now ex-girlfriend was called to the stand late on Monday.
The 28-year-old, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt, cried as she was asked about her long-term relationship with the man accused of murdering his mother.
“Do you see this man behind me?” Rebelo’s lawyer Anthony Elliott asked.
“Yes,” she answered.
What is his name – Andre Rebelo.
How long have you known him – 10 years.
Do you have a child with him – Yes.
Piscopo then told the jury about the financial aspects of her social media empire, revealing she could command up to $8,000 for a photo on her Instagram page, where she promoted fashion brands, lifestyle, homewares, beauty and make up.
She added that she once made $80,000 for one job that included TikTok and YouTube videos.
Piscopo was then asked about Rebelo’s involvement in the business, where she told the jury he was mostly a bookkeeper and dealt with emails and mail.
She was also asked about his cryptocurrency-trading business, but admitted she did not take much interest in the venture, and she did not know how much cryptocurrency he made during their relationship.
When asked about the couple’s financial situation, Piscopo said 2020 “was a pretty good year”, but admitted finance companies were not eager to lend her or Rebelo money at that time, which was illustrated by a list of knocked-back credit applications shown to her.
Asked what she and Rebelo did with all the money coming in at that time, she responded: “I don’t know. Andre ran the accounts.”
The state’s case has always been against Rebelo and there are no allegations of wrongdoing by Piscopo.
Piscopo’s name was first brought into the trial when it was revealed she had made a series of frantic phone calls and sent text messages to Rebelo on the morning his mum died.
The court was shown the messages, which were sent over a 40-minute period on May 25, 2020, where she demanded Rebelo answer the phone and asked where he was.
Prosecutors allege Rebelo was in the process of killing his mother during that window when he did not answer the calls.
The trial continues.
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