KEY POINTS:
The Chief Coroner has set out guidelines for the inquest into south Auckland woman Folole Muliaga who died after the power to her home was cut, leaving the oxygen machine she relied on inoperable.
Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean held a preliminary hearing in Auckland today, with lawyers from Mrs Muliaga's family, Counties-Manukau District Health Board and Mighty River Power among those at this afternoons hearing.
Mrs Muliaga died in May after Mercury Energy, a subsidiary of state-owned Mighty River Power, ordered the power cut to her house because of an overdue power bill of $168.40.
The family have maintained the contractor who cut the power saw the oxygen machine but ignored pleas from the family not to switch the power off.
Judge MacLean told the court Mrs Muliaga's death "shocked the nation" but a lot of "speculation and rumour surrounding the circumstances of her death remained".
Judge MacLean also ruled the contractor who cut the power should have name suppression.
Garth Galloway the lawyer for VirCom EMS, who the contractor worked for, said the man had received death threats, passed on through the company and that outweighed any public interest.
Olinda Woodroffe, the Muliaga family's lawyer argued for the man to be named, saying there had been much speculation among the South Auckland community as to who the contractor was.
Crown lawyer Chris Morris told the court there were seven areas he wanted the inquest to investigate including the pathological evidence, the medical history and treatment and discharge from hospital of Mrs Muliaga before her death.
Mr Morris said the inquest should also look at the outpatient care and resources, any linkage between the cut to the power supply and Mrs Muliaga's death, inquiry into the actual disconnection and the level of comprehension and understanding of Mrs Muliaga's medical condition held by those close to her.
Ms Woodroffe said the key issues which were crucial to the family included comprehension of the seriousness of Mrs Muliaga's condition.
One or both of Mrs Muliaga's sons' who were with her when she died, "may be able to say something about what he was or was not told", she said.
A teleconference will be held on October 17 with the involved parties and the next scheduled hearing in the court is on October 23.
The inquest is scheduled to begin on November 26.
- NZPA
