Rebelo secretly sought his mother’s life insurance payout because he feared suicide, court heard

Rebelo admitted to investigating insurance company employees and engaging in emotional manipulation by telling them he would be forced to sell the family home if the money was not received immediately.

He also admitted to posing as a psychologist, preparing a medical report to speed up the process and Googling the names of local lawyers in search of a forged will that listed him as executor.

But Rebelo, who is accused of killing his mother and putting her body in the shower to make it appear she had died of natural causes, told the court he pursued the money for the benefit of his siblings.

He rejected claims that he intended to keep the money for himself, despite being named as the sole beneficiary on all three insurance policies.

Rebelo claims his mother told him she wanted the policy to cover her remaining mortgage and take good care of her children, as well as Rebelo’s son Romeo, whom he shares with influencer Grace Piscopo.

He stood by the claims when Tooker informed him of the monthly premiums totaling $336, insisting his mother had applied for them even though she was struggling financially and had suspended her mortgage repayments.

But the 28-year-old’s three siblings, Julian, Fabian and Monique, told the court they had no knowledge of the policies taken out five days before their mother’s sudden and unexplained death.

It is the state’s case that Rebelo killed his mother on May 25, 2020 between 10am and 2pm after taking out the policy in a desperate bid to maintain his luxurious lifestyle with Piscopo.

But he claims he was entitled to a share of the revenue from Piscopo’s fast-growing social media business and denies he was concerned about his growing personal debts.