The former girlfriend of Andre Rebelo – Grace Piscopo – has just been called as a defence witness in his murder trial.
The Instagram model, who boasts more than 1 million followers, has been regularly referenced during the trial in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, although it’s not alleged she had anything to do with the crime.
Grace Piscopo arriving at court this afternoon. Credit: 9 News Perth
The 28-year-old has taken to the stand, smiling at Rebelo before she sat down.
Her former partner, 28, is accused of killing his mother Colleen Rebelo, 58, inside her Bicton home in May 2020, and then placing her in the shower to hide her cause of death, which remains a mystery.
State prosecutors said Rebelo carried out the plot just days after setting up $1.15 million in life insurance policies in his mother’s name amid bankruptcy fears and the demise of the ‘plastic existence’ he and Piscopo portrayed online.
He then lied and forged records in repeated unsuccessful attempts to claim the money, all while keeping his actions a secret from his siblings, including his older brother, who was the true executor of his mother’s estate.
The jury has previously heard Rebelo was with Piscopo and their young son on the morning of Colleen’s death, before leaving to go to the post office and drop a bag of clothing to his younger brother Fabian, who still lived with their mother.
Piscopo repeatedly rang and angrily texted Rebelo for a 45-minute period that day, which prosecutors allege is when he murdered his mother.
The couple’s home was also bugged after police became suspicious of Rebelo, with Piscopo seeming upset and asking Rebelo about what fraud he’d committed after his initial arrest.
Rebelo admits forging records in relation to his mother’s life insurance policies, but denies murdering her.
His trial is expected to wrap up in the coming days.
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