A prisoner charged with strangling another inmate in an Auckland prison has appeared in Auckland High Court this morning.
Petani Fa'avae, 22, is alleged to have aided two other Tongan Crips gang members in murdering Tue Fa'avae at Paremoremo prison on March 1, 2009. The two men are not related.
When Fa'avae appeared in court last week, he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The three men have been accused of carrying out a revenge "hit" on rival gang Samoan Bloods, of which the 23-year-old victim was a member. Tue Fa'avae was strangled to death and his body was dumped in a nearby shower block.
The two other accused prisoners, Tongan Crips boss Siuaki Lisiate and his gang recruit, Eneasi Finau, have already been found guilty of murder. They were both sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011 with a minimum period of 18 years.
The sentencing judge at the time, Justice Judith Potter, said the murder was "cold, calculated and callous", Fairfax Media reports.
Petani Fa'avae is alleged to have planned the attack with the others, and to have helped them carry it out by holding the victim down. He is also alleged to have covered security cameras with toothpaste.
Today in court, the doctor who performed the post-mortem described the injuries to the victim's face, neck and chest. Judge Woolford and the jury were shown the homemade weapon, made up of a television power cord, used to strangle Tue Fa'avae.
The trial is continuing and has been set down for three weeks.
3 News
source: newshub archive
