If Instagram was to be believed, Perth man Andre Rebelo and his influencer girlfriend Grace Piscopo were living a dream life involving luxury holidays, expensive cars and a glamorous home.
But on Tuesday, the Supreme Court of WA heard that behind the scenes the couple was living on borrowed money, applying for Centrelink benefits, and ultimately filed for bankruptcy.
Andre Rebelo and his then girlfriend Grace Piscopo and his mother Colleen Rebelo.
Rebelo is on trial accused of murdering his 58-year-old mother, Colleen Rebelo, who was found dead in the shower by her youngest son in May 2020.
How she died could not be determined by a coroner and Rebelo has denied any involvement. He did, however, admit forging documents to try and access $500,000 worth of life insurance policies he took out in his mum’s name just a week before her sudden death.
On Tuesday, three weeks into Rebelo’s seven-week trial, WA Police financial crimes officer Darren Stammers showed the jury a detailed analysis of the couple’s financial affairs in the two years leading up to Ms Rebelo’s death.
Prosecutors allege Rebelo murdered his mother in her Bicton home in a desperate attempt to get his hands on the life insurance policies that would not only alleviate him of a mountain of debt, but help him maintain the glamorous lifestyle he had developed with his Instagram-famous girlfriend.
Piscopo was a model whose career was taking off. On Tuesday, Stammers told the court she made $141,000 business income in 2019, and $219,000 the following year.
But she was also swimming in debt, with multiple credit cards, personal loans and Afterpay accounts.
Stammers told the court that Piscopo applied for the early release of superannuation under the COVID-19 hardship rules a few months before Ms Rebelo’s death.
Around the same time, she also made eight loan applications and multiple credit card applications.
Stammers also told the court there was evidence that Piscopo also applied for Centrelink JobSeeker payments on May 11, 2020 – 14 days before Ms Rebelo was found dead.
Rebelo – Piscopo’s then-partner and father of their young son Romeo – was also struggling, the court was told.
While Piscopo was earning six figures from modelling, the 28-year-old’s income was registered with the tax office at just $21,000 in 2020.
He also applied for and received nearly $9000 from his superannuation account during COVID and was deemed to be around $40,000 in debt from his own credit cards and personal loans.
Monique, Andre and then-girlfriend Gracie Piscopo, Fabian and Colleen Rebelo.
Eight months before he was arrested for his mother’s murder, Rebelo applied for bankruptcy.
He stated on the form he was applying because of “excessive borrowing/credit”. At the time, he claimed he had $50 cash and just $800 worth of assets in his name.
The court was told that Rebelo was facing legal action over unpaid debts.
The trial previously heard the pair rented an $880-a-week Beaconsfield home and Piscopo purchased a Range Rover Evoque on finance, which she sold in 2021.
The trial continues.