Brief
88‑year‑old wife of Western Australian millionaire charged with attempted murder
The 88‑year‑old wife of former Automotive Holdings Group chairman Robert Branchi was charged with attempted murder after alleged attempts to kill him at their Claremont care home.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Gay Bernadette Branchi, 88, was arrested late on Thursday from the Queenslea residential aged‑care home in Claremont and charged with attempted murder of her husband, former Automotive Holdings Group chairman Robert Branchi, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
She appeared via audio link at a Perth Magistrates Court hearing on Friday, where she was heard crying. Her legal‑aid lawyer sought bail, but the magistrate said bail applications for murder and attempted‑murder charges must be heard in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court, which sits fortnightly, and therefore could not be decided at that hearing.
The magistrate noted concerns about Branchi’s “cognitive mental capacity” and her vulnerability, possibly living with dementia, and expressed doubts about remanding her in custody.
Branchi and her husband share a room at the Queenslea home, one of Perth’s most expensive facilities, where deposits for a room can exceed $1.6 million. The couple also retain a four‑bedroom riverside home in Mosman Park, bought in 1995 for $1.5 million.
Branchi is scheduled to appear at Stirling Gardens on Wednesday, 30 September, where a bail application is expected.
Key facts
- Gay Bernadette Branchi, 88, was charged with attempted murder of her husband. (smh.com.au)
- The charge was laid after her arrest at the Queenslea aged‑care home in Claremont. (smh.com.au)
- She appeared in Perth Magistrates Court via audio link and was denied a bail hearing there. (smh.com.au)
- A bail hearing is set for Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on 30 September. (smh.com.au)
- The couple own a Mosman Park home bought in 1995 for $1.5 million and live in a $1.6 million‑plus aged‑care facility. (smh.com.au)
Sources
- [1] smh.com.au — originally reported as “Robert Branchi: Mosman Park millionaire’s 88-year-old wife Gay Branchi charged with attempted murder”
