Grace Piscopo, the Instagram famous ex-girlfriend of the man accused of murdering his mother for money, has returned to his Supreme Court trial to give evidence in his defense for a third day. Andre Rebelo is accused of killing his mother in May 2020 and attempting to cash in a $500,000 life insurance policy he had taken out in her name. Piscopo has been accused of lying about Rebelo’s whereabouts on the day his mother died, but denies that they were struggling financially. The couple had applied for government assistance and early release of superannuation in the months before the incident, but Piscopo claims that the nature of her business made payments sporadic and that they were not in financial distress. However, it was revealed in court that they were exceeding their income in the months leading up to the incident.
Piscopo admitted in court that she was often demanding of Rebelo and was the dominant partner in their relationship. She claimed that Rebelo handled their finances and she did not know about his personal debts or his unsuccessful attempts to get a rent reduction on their property. Rebelo denies murdering his mother but admits to forging documents to access the life insurance policies he had set up in her name. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing against Piscopo. The prosecutor has presented financial documents showing that Piscopo had not paid a substantial tax bill for two years running and still owed more than $40,000 in bills from 2019 and 2020. The couple was struggling to pay their rent, car loan, and credit card bills, which led them to apply for government assistance before the incident.
Piscopo’s testimony in court has been pivotal in understanding the couple’s financial situation leading up to Colleen Rebelo’s death. The prosecutor has suggested that financial struggles may have been a motive for Andre Rebelo to kill his mother in order to access the life insurance policy he had taken out in her name. Piscopo maintains that they were not struggling financially despite their expenses surpassing their income in the months prior to the incident. She has also emphasized the nature of her business, which involves being paid for online content, leading to erratic payments and delayed income. It has been revealed that the couple applied for early release of superannuation and government assistance, indicating potential financial hardship.
The defense has questioned Piscopo extensively about her relationship with Rebelo, highlighting her dominant role and lack of awareness about their financial situation. Piscopo admitted to being demanding of Rebelo and claimed that he handled their finances without her knowledge of his personal debts. Rebelo’s admission to forging documents to access the life insurance policies but denial of murder has created a complex legal case. Piscopo’s testimony sheds light on the couple’s financial struggles and potential financial motives that could have led to the alleged crime. The court will continue to examine the evidence presented by both the prosecution and defense to determine Andre Rebelo’s culpability in his mother’s death.
