A gang member was strangled in a planned hit at a maximum security prison in retribution for allegedly saying "B's Up" following the beating of a rival gang member, a jury was told today.
Three men, whose names are all suppressed, are on trial at the High Court in Auckland accused of the murder of Tue Faavae, who died at Auckland Prison at Paremoremo on March 1, 2009.
Crown prosecutor Kevin Glubb told the jury that two of the accused men carried out the attack on Faavae in his cell, while the third accused is alleged to have played a major role in instigating the attack.
Mr Glubb said Faavae was a member of the Bloods gang and the three accused were members of the Crips gang.
He said the attack followed one three weeks earlier when a Crips member required hospital treatment for serious head and back injuries.
"Tue Faavae was heard shouting 'B's Up' (a pro-Bloods call) just after this assault," Mr Glubb told the jury.
He said one of the accused was heard to say "you're next" after this, though Faavae at the time thought the accused was just kidding.
Mr Glubb said the prison authorities did their best to separate Bloods and Crips members into different landings where they would not have contact with each other.
But on the day Faavae died he hid in a shower cubicle after his allowed time out of his cell had ended, and he was thus able to associate with one of the accused, who had befriended him.
Shortly afterwards the four security cameras were covered up, two by pieces of paper and two with toothpaste.
Two of the accused then went into a cell which Faavae was in and strangled him with a radio cord before his body was dragged to the shower area, Mr Glubb said.
"Death was the final, tragic, utterly unnecessary consequence of wanton prison violence and gang retribution."
Though the third accused did not carry out the attack, Mr Glubb said there were highly incriminating text messages found on a mobile phone which showed he had a strong part to play in the attack.
Mr Glubb said he imagined the main issue for the jury of eight men and four women was whether the accused men had the necessary intent to be found guilty of murder.
A fourth man earlier this week admitted a charge of obstructing the course of justice in relation to the incident.
The trial before Justice Judith Potter is due to last three weeks.
