High-flying crypto trader who killed his mother for a million-dollar life insurance policy learns his fate after dramatic trial – as his glamorous model ex-girlfriend escapes the spotlight in Bali

By KYLIE STEVENS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 07:46 BST, 1 April 2025 | Updated: 08:14 BST, 1 April 2025

A former crypto trader who murdered his mother to cash in on life insurance he took out in her name has been jailed for life.

Andre Zachary Rebelo, 28, showed little emotion as he was jailed for a minimum 25 years in Western Australia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, almost four months after a marathon murder trial. 

His mother Colleen Rebelo, 58, was found dead in the shower of her Bicton home in Perth’s south-west on May 25, 2020.

Her son was charged with her murder in November 2022 and has been in custody ever since.

Rebelo’s former influencer partner and the mother of his son, Gracie Piscopo was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday, having fled to Bali earlier this week for an island paradise getaway, which she shared photos of with her one million Instagram followers.

‘Paradise,’ she captioned a collage of photos on Monday.

Fifty witnesses, including Piscopo stood to the stand to give evidence during an eight week trial late last year heard from  Rebelo stretched close to eight weeks and heard from about 50 witnesses before the unanimous verdict was delivered.

Andre Zachary Rebelo (pictured with former partner Gracie Piscopo) was sentenced to a minimum 25 years jail on Tuesday.

Colleen Rebelo, 58, was found dead in her Bicton home in May 2025

Supreme Court Justice Bruno Fiannaca described Rebelo actions as a ‘monstrous act’ and ‘incomprehensible betrayal of the person who had brought you into the world’ as he handed down the sentencing on Tuesday. 

‘The persona you had created (online) seemed more important to you than the familial connection to your mother,’ Justice Fiannaca said.

‘You killed her for a financial motive, it was a premeditated offence, a monstrous act that was integral to a fraudulent scheme which you intended to profit from life insurance policies taken out by you.

‘It was an incomprehensible betrayal of the person who brought you into this world.’

At the time of the tragedy, Rebelo and his former influencer partner appeared to be living a carefree lifestyle of luxury. 

However, it was all funded by credit, prompting Rebelo to attempt to cash in a $500,000 life insurance policy he had created and taken out in his mother’s name just days before her death.

Police discovered Ms Rebelo’s life was insured for $1.5million across three separate policies, with Rebelo being the beneficiary of two.

Rebelo’s twin sister and his two brothers testified that they knew nothing of the insurance policies taken out on their mother before she died.

More to come. 

As her former partner was sentenced to life behind bars, Grace Piscopo was holidaying in Bali

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High-flying crypto trader who killed his mother for a million-dollar life insurance policy learns his fate after dramatic trial – as his glamorous model ex-girlfriend escapes the spotlight in Bali

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