Lawyers for a Perth man convicted of brutally murdering his mother are in a race against time to gather crucial medical documents for a last-minute appeal against his life sentence.
Urgent Scramble for Medical Evidence
Andre Zachary Rebello's legal team was granted a brief adjournment in the Western Australia Supreme Court on Friday to pull together medical records and other documents. These materials are intended to form the basis of an appeal against the severity of his sentence.
Rebello, now 25, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 18 years in December 2023 for the horrific killing of his 56-year-old mother, Liliana Rebello. The crime occurred in their family home in the northern Perth suburb of Duncraig in August 2022.
Justice Joseph McGrath described the murder as an act of "extreme violence" during sentencing. The court heard Rebello attacked his mother with multiple weapons, including a hammer and a knife, inflicting more than 60 injuries.
A Gruesome Crime and a Life Term
The facts of the case are chilling. After the attack, Rebello left his mother's body in the family home and fled the scene. He was arrested several days later in New South Wales.
During his trial, Rebello pleaded not guilty to murder. His defence argued he was not of sound mind at the time of the killing. However, a jury rejected this argument and found him guilty after deliberation.
Justice McGrath, in imposing the life term, noted the profound breach of trust and the vulnerability of the victim in her own home. The sentence reflected the community's abhorrence for such a violent domestic crime.
The Final Appeal Push
Rebello's appeal notice was filed on the final permissible day, indicating a last-ditch effort to challenge the sentence. His lawyer, Simon Freitag, told the court the team needed more time to compile "medical documents and other materials" to support their appeal arguments.
The Court of Appeal has now listed the matter for a hearing on August 9, 2024. This gives Rebello's legal team several months to finalise their submissions. The state prosecutors will also prepare their response to the appeal arguments.
The appeal will focus solely on whether the life sentence with an 18-year minimum is manifestly excessive. It is not a re-trial of the murder conviction itself. The appeal judges will consider the circumstances of the offence and the offender, including any mitigating factors presented in the new medical documents.
This case has sent shockwaves through the local community in Perth and serves as a tragic reminder of the devastating impact of family violence. The outcome of the August appeal hearing will determine if Andre Zachary Rebello's original sentence stands or is altered.
