Former Automotive Holdings Group chairman's wife charged over attempted murder of husband

Charges laid at Claremont care home

Gay Bernadette Branchi, 88, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder over allegations she tried to kill her husband, Robert Branchi, the former chairman of Perth-based car dealership network Automotive Holdings Group. According to WAtoday's crime and courts report by Rebecca Peppiatt, police took Mrs Branchi into custody late on Thursday from the Claremont aged care home she lives in with Mr Branchi: The Queenslea residential aged care facility. ¹²³

The charge alleges Mrs Branchi attempted to murder her husband at the care home, WAtoday reports; the allegation has not been tested in court and no findings against her have yet been made. Ground News' coverage tracker shows the story was subsequently carried by several outlets, including The Age, Brisbane Times and WAtoday, with the Australian Financial Review separately reporting the arrest of the wife of former chairman Bob Branchi at the aged care home where the couple live. ³

Court appearance and initial bail refusal

WAtoday's court report states that Mrs Branchi appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Friday via audio link from a bedside hearing, where she could be heard crying. Her legal aid lawyer sought her release on bail, but the magistrate said the seriousness of the charge meant it was not within her jurisdiction to hear such an application. ¹²

The court also heard there were some "cognitive mental capacity" issues. WAtoday reports the magistrate expressed concern about Mrs Branchi remaining in custody, describing her as very vulnerable and possibly living with dementia. "I have real concerns as to whether she can be remanded in custody," she said, before adding, "my hands are tied." ¹²

Bail granted after review

The legal position changed within days. According to WAtoday, on Sunday Mrs Branchi was granted bail by the same court after a review of the laws. She has been listed to appear at Stirling Gardens on Wednesday, September 30, where WAtoday reports it is expected she will apply for bail. What conditions attach to the Sunday grant, and what the anticipated September 30 application will seek, are not stated in the reporting. ¹²

Robert Branchi's automotive career

The complainant's background explains why the case has drawn wide attention. WAtoday records that Robert Branchi served as a director of Automotive Holdings Group for 25 years and chaired the Perth-based car dealership network from 2004 until his retirement in late 2010. He had long been a substantial shareholder, WAtoday reports, owning more than 17 million shares as of 2007. ¹²

Mr Branchi is also a friend and mentor to prominent Perth businessman Bronte Howson, who served as chief executive of the company before founding Perth Audi Centre, WAtoday reports. The publication further records that in 2016 Mr Branchi sold shares to net almost $13 million, and that he helms a family foundation that regularly donates to Telethon and the WA Symphony Orchestra. WAtoday adds that records show the couple still own the riverside four-bedroom Mosman Park home they first bought in 1995 for $1.5 million, when Mr Branchi was still chairman. ¹²

The financial context reported to the court is likewise documented by WAtoday: it states that the court was told Gay and Robert Branchi share a room at The Queenslea, described as one of Perth's most expensive care homes, where lump sum deposits for a room reportedly exceed $1.6 million. These figures are reported as court statements and reportedly-sourced estimates rather than verified transaction records. ¹²

Western suburbs context and next steps

The case centres on Perth's western suburbs. The Queenslea is located in Claremont, while the couple's long-held riverside home is in Mosman Park, the suburb WAtoday identifies in its report. As an ongoing court matter, the allegations against Mrs Branchi are untested. The confirmed facts at this stage are the arrest, the attempted murder charge, the Friday bedside hearing, the Sunday bail grant and the September 30 listing at Stirling Gardens, as documented by WAtoday. ¹²³