Andrew Rebelo: The fall and fall of crypto trader who murdered his mother Colleen Rebelo

“Insta vs Reality”.

So read the words next to two pictures posted to the Instagram feed of Gracie Piscopo in the early days of 2020.

The pictures contrast each other — and were meant to.

The first is a perfectly framed and filtered image of domestic bliss.

In front, taking the picture, is Piscopo — a 23-year-old receptionist turned model turned social media star, with all the influence that more than one million followers brings.

Behind her, with one arm around her waist, stands Andre Rebelo — her partner, assistant, manager and baby daddy to their son.

And that little boy, named Romeo, sits curiously in the crook of father’s arm simultaneously looking into the camera lens and into the mirror which the picture is being taken into.

A reflection of an image. And a reflection of the image Gracie and Andre showed to the world almost every day.

The second photo captures the same people, the same beautiful home, the same immaculate grooming.

But also just a kernel of reality — as Romeo grabs his mother’s hair, blurring the reflection and also breaking the illusion.

In both shots, Rebelo’s expression is almost identical. A thin, gentle smile cutting across his photogenic features, sitting below an immaculate haircut.

And it is that same thin smile which sat on those same features for the last seven weeks, as Andre Rebelo sat in the dock of WA’s Supreme Court — and was forced to finally face reality.

The reality that he was a fraud. That the image shown to the world on those socials — of the money, the glamour, the clothes, the life — did not exist.

It was a mirage, created with other people’s money, to try and get other people to hand over theirs.

And the reality that when that money began to run out, Andre Rebelo was willing to do anything to maintain the illusion.

Including killing his mother.

*****

Three days before that photo was posted — on January 13, 2020 — a very 20th Century thing happened to Andre Rebelo.

He was sent a letter, in the post.

It came from a company called Baycorp, Australia’s leading debt recovery agency, who were very keen to talk to him. So keen that they had sent previous letters, and emails. And texts. And left voice messages.

Asking about the many thousands of dollars he owed to the ANZ Bank, borrowed through a loan and a credit card. And how he intended to pay it back.

On that same day, a very 21st Century thing happened to Grace Piscopo.

The computers at her bank, and the company she had borrowed many thousands of dollars from to buy her dream car, began talking to each other.

Between them, those computers concluded she did not have enough money in the bank to pay that loan. And so it defaulted — until two days later, when the $1500 owed was paid by credit card.

Borrowed money to pay off borrowed money.

Insta vs Reality.

And the reality in early 2020 was that while Grace Piscopo was bringing a lot of money into her luxury rented two-storey townhouse in Perth’s southern suburbs, more was going out.

$5000 a month alone for the rent, and the Range Rover. Babies aren’t cheap — especially ones with Gucci and Givenchy to go.

Andre was convinced that cryptocurrency was his route to riches, ploughing most of the money he had borrowed into the volatile futures of Bitcoin and others.

The best of everything.

While Andre owed $40,000 to ANZ, Gracie owed $40,000 to the Australian Tax Office. And $70,000 on the car. On top of the $900 pyjamas, and trips to the Maldives.

On April 19 that year, Grace Piscopo posted a YouTube video inviting her 300,000 followers on a tour of their lovely home. The rugs, the custom made furniture — the neon sign above the bed shining: “Always and forever”.

Two days later, the rental company issued a breach notice to the couple, for not paying their rent.

And three days after that, Andre wrote to them, officially requesting that rent be reduced. A request which was refused.

A week later, on May 1, 2020 another Instagram post appeared — Gracie in front, Andre behind, baby on board. This time with just a one-word caption: “Loves”

And on that same day, Andre Rebelo spent time online doing other things. Including setting up the email account colleendrebelo@gmail.com.

*****

Colleen Da Horta Rebelo had for so long lived for her children.

She had four. Her first born Julian. Her twins — Andre and Monique. And her youngest, Fabian.

The relationship between the devoted mother and fisherman father had not always been easy.

And in January 2010, it collapsed — with violence restraining orders and Family Court proceedings making the split messy and drawn out.

From 2012, it was just Colleen and the kids. Money was tight. But the children were a credit to her.

Julian went from school to the University of WA, studying commerce and engineering. Monique and Andre were sporting stars at their school, excelling at water polo and swimming.

Fabian, despite serious health issues, was studious and popular.

And so, after years of saving and sacrifice, by early 2020 Colleen Rebelo was just about to start living her life.

She had completed a Masters in Health Education, after seven years of study. She had secured a prestigious spot on WA’s Health Board — not well paid, but an important role nonetheless.

She was healthy — physically and mentally. Had friends, a focus and a future — along with a new grandson do dote on.

Everything to live for.

Until she died.

The morning of May 25, 2020 began brightly. Monique was back to start her first day training to be a paramedic. Fabian was rostered on to work at a shift at the grocery store around the corner.

So Colleen got to see her daughter early and then drive her son later. The rest of the day was her own, apart from picking Fabian up at 2pm.

But she didn’t arrive. And then didn’t pick up his calls.

And didn’t immediately answer when he arrived home. He could hear the shower running, so maybe she was in there.

And she was. Slumped forward almost on her knees, with her head resting against the tiles. And very obviously not moving. Despite his frantic efforts, and calls, his mother could not be revived.

Monique arrived in shock — still in her fresh new ambulance uniform. Andre then arrived, with Gracie and Romeo. Others saw the commotion, including one of Colleen’s sisters.

The shocking news slowly spread.

But despite the abruptness, Andre never gave a hint to his brothers and sister that he had been and seen his mother that morning, at her house.

And there was no hint of the family tragedy the following day, when Gracie posted to Instagram about how she was “staying bronzed at home”.

“So dark — but natural looking.”

*****

Three days after his mother’s death, Andre Rebelo began making calls and sending emails. Of course, there was much to be arranged in the wake of his mother’s passing.

But by now, his elder brother Julian had flown to Perth, and as the executor of his mother’s will, had taken charge of those arrangements.

But not all.

He was keen to inquire about life insurance policies, which he told three companies he believed they might hold in his mother’s name.

And he would know. Because he was the one who had taken them out. Just the week before.

May 18, a $500,000 policy with RAC Insurance. May 19, $250,000 with ANZ. And May 2020, $400,000 with AAMI.

Using the email address — colleendrebelo@gmail.com — had set up himself. Using a phone number just one digit away from his own. Using his bank details to pay the premiums.

And just a week later, his mother is dead. And he is asking what he needs to do to claim.

“Is there a way to get … like processing approved or whatever it is … do you get the release of funds like pretty soon,” he told a staff member that day.

“Or could you just think about costs of the funeral and stuff and how to figure that out?”

That funeral would take place on June 19, 2020. And despite the gravity of that day, on that morning, Andre Rebelo would make his 12th call to RAC insurance concerning the $500,000 policy.

Dozens more would follow.

They asked him for various documents which the company had asked for. Which he duly sent.

A will, showing that Andre was the executor. Two medical reports from his mother’s psychologist. A coroner’s report.

And a brief report from WA coroner Michael Jenkin, stating that Colleen Rebelo had died of a “subarachnoid haemorrhage due to ruptured berry aneurysm”.

All appeared — on the surface — to be genuine.

But, the will was dated when Andre would have been just 14 years-old — yet he was still named the executor.

The psychologist spelled her own name wrong on the bottom of her submissions. And the font on the coroner’s report was wrong — as was the signature.

It wasn’t that of Michael Jenkin. It was a fake.

In fact they were all fake, created by Andre Rebelo. Without the knowledge of his siblings, or his partner. Or psychologist Narina Sidhu – who phoned the insurance company herself on August 5, 2020.

“I think you said you received an email from me but I haven’t emailed you at all,” she told them.

Two days later, RAC made a call themselves. To WA Police.

*****

On September 15, 2020, Gracie Piscopo posted to Instagram.

“Everyday isn’t good but there is good in everyday,” she wrote.

Whether she would have agreed with the sentiment 24 hours later is highly unlikely. Because in that time, her partner had been arrested, interviewed and charged with serious frauds.

She had been hauled in before detectives and had her phone taken. And while they were out of their house, more detectives had been in — and placed listening devices in places where they could not be seen.

But would allow those inside to be heard.

It had taken WA Police just over a month to dig up the evidence needed to bring five charges of dishonesty against the crypto-trader.

And yet in his interview with them, he denied a lot.

That he had applied for life insurance on behalf of his mother, that he had even communicated with RAC. That he knew anything about a cause of death certificate — that he had even seen it before.

And when he got home, the lies continued. That the charges were minor. That he had ever impersonated anyone.

“It wasn’t like I killed someone to

try and get their life insurance,” he told his partner.

But Gracie was still hysterical. And confused.

About why they were they asking her about $500,000?

And what he had been doing on the morning of May 25, 2020 — because he hadn’t been answering her increasingly angry calls and texts.

He had no other option … if he didn’t get a payout for one of those policies, then he had killed his mother for no reason.

“I went down to the post office for half an hour,” he told her.

But didn’t mention that he had been at his Mum’s house as well. For over an hour. Didn’t mention it to the police.

Online, on Instagram, the fantasy family life also appeared unchanged. Even on the days Andre Rebelo was scheduled to appear in court.

Like October 29, 2021 — when he appeared in court in the morning, and then appeared in a post dressed as a Scooby Doo character that afternoon.

“Looks Like We’ve Got Another Mystery On Our Hands,” read the post.

As did the authorities — the mystery of exactly how Colleen Rebelo died.

A post-mortem could find nothing conclusive. A barrage of further tests — still nothing conclusive. No obvious sign of a heart attack. No stroke. No brain bleed.

Cause of death — officially — unknown. But, over the months, there were other things police did come to know.

Like that on the morning Colleen died, her sister Pearl Fleming had seen a white Range Rover parked outside her house — the same car she had seen Andre and Gracie in on the day of her funeral.

Like all those texts and calls from Gracie that had gone unanswered on that same morning.

And, eventually, phone data — showing Andre’s mobile pinging off the towers surrounding his mother’s house in Bicton. Over a window of about 70 minutes.

Making him the last person to see his mother alive.

*****

On January 1, 2023 — as she had done every year for many years, Gracie Piscopo posted on Instagram. A post of polaroids — pictures of pictures — to ring in the New Year.

This year though, it had one significant piece missing.

Andre Rebelo.

He couldn’t be in that picture. Because since November 22, 2022 he had been in prison — charged with his mother’s murder.

“It’s just an example of how we will not stop until we thoroughly investigate and bring these things to a conclusion,” Homicide Detective Clinton Bragg told a press conference.

It may have been the conclusion of a murder investigation. But that was the start of the murder prosecution. Which would take another two years to get to court.

When it did, prosecutor Brett Tooker took just two sentences to tell the jury what was being alleged.

“Andre Rebelo stood to gain up to $1.15 million from his mother’s death. That’s because one week before she died, he took out three life insurance policies against her name,” he said.

That began five weeks of prosecution evidence, which did not just pull back the curtain on the “plastic fantastic” life and style of Gracie and Andre.

It set fire to it.

The debts and the disharmony. The regular demands from Gracie – for Andre to go to McDonalds. For Andre to fetch a glass of water and straw. For Andre to fetch a Freddo frog.

Mr Tooker suggested that Rebelo simply could not keep up with his partner. In followers, in finance. And was desperate to show her — and the world — that he could.

By promising her that a big crypto paydrop was coming. By taking out the insurance. By killing his Mum — and then pushing the insurance company to payout.

“He had no other option … if he didn’t get a payout for one of those policies, then he had killed his mother for no reason,” Mr Tooker said.

There was motive. That window of time on the morning of May 25 was the opportunity.

A window with Rebelo chose to explain himself, by giving evidence in his own defence.

At times speaking so softly as to be barely be heard, the 28 year-old admitted he had tried to defraud the insurance company, lying to many along the way.

He admitted he had seen his mother on the last morning of her life. Shared coffee with her. Talked gardening with her.

But he insisted he had left her alive. And before that, had discussed life insurance with her — policies he claimed she had asked him to take out, on her behalf.

“She wanted me to see if I could shop around and find her the best deal because she was not a savvy online shopper,” Rebelo said.

For three days, Rebelo’s tale was tested under cross-examination — eliciting the reason why he had kept that final visit secret.

Because he feared his mother had taken her own life. He knew that would void the insurance policy. But he claimed anyway – so his whole family could benefit.

“I was shocked and panicked and wasn’t thinking straight,” he said.

Much the same state Grace Piscopo appeared to be in when she made her surprise into court, and into the trial.

She insisted she now remembered that Andre had told her she was going to see his mother that morning — despite not saying that to the police at the time.

She explained her angry texts and calls were because of an impending play date she wanted him home for — not because she didn’t know where she was at all.

And she denied she was lying to protect the father of her child.

“I came to court because I have been spoken about the entirety of the trial and I want to have my voice. I’m telling the truth the best I can”.

*****

As the jury filed back into the wood-lined courtroom, you could see how the weeks had taken a toll. Faces were drawn, eyes were down.

Andre Rebelo — wearing the same blue slacks and grey jumper as he had for seven weeks — looked across, with the same thin smile he also worn for much of the trial.

That smile didn’t slip as the verdict was delivered.

Guilty.

Of murdering a loving mother for money. Of depriving a family of many more years of that love. Of taking away a little boy’s grandmother.

A horrible reality, the culmination the end of what prosecutors said had been a horrible plan.

His siblings and his aunts had stayed away. Mr Tooker said they would be preparing victim impact statements ahead of the sentencing next year.

Andre Rebelo’s former partner was not in court either — Gracie had posted a 30 per cent off deal for one of her favoured jewellers the night before.

His father Antonio was there to see him walk into custody, to prepare for what will be a life sentence with multiple decades to serve.

But the only actual followers Andre Rebelo had, as he placed his hands in his pockets and walked down the cell stairs, were court security guards.