KEY POINTS:
A husband broke down in court yesterday as he recalled how his wife died after their power was disconnected.
Folole Muliaga, 45, died in May last year, soon after a power company contractor switched off the family's power supply because of an overdue bill.
The move cut off the power supply to Mrs Muliaga's oxygen machine and she died a couple of hours later.
A distraught Lopaavea Muliaga shook his head as he told the Auckland Coroner's Court how he tried to make an arrangement with power company Mercury Energy to pay an outstanding bill for $168.40 because his wife - whose name was on the account - was in hospital. He said he was told to have his wife contact the company.
"At the time my wife died, I firmly believe I only owed $34.44 as an outstanding amount," he said.
One of the Muliaga children left the courtroom in tears when their father broke down and said: "My wife died because of $34."
Mr Muliaga said his wife, a teacher in Samoa before arriving in New Zealand in 2000, had been to Middlemore Hospital twice after becoming overweight, once in 2002 and again in 2007, about a month before her death.
He said she stuck to instructions about eating very lightly and exercising but was unable to lose weight.
"Folole was self-conscious of her body-weight. She could not understand why she put on the weight when she ate less than me."
She spent time doing teaching courses but made little progress and by the time she died she needed the oxygen machine 16 hours a day.
Mr Muliaga said he was working when the power was disconnected and arrived home on the night of May 29 to find his wife dead and two ambulance officers at the house.
"After the power was disconnected, I sat in the dark with my children because Mercury Energy refused to reconnect the power until approximately 8am the next morning, despite pleas from family members."
He said he was confident his wife had stuck to the medical regime that doctors and hospital staff had given her.
Mr Muliaga's lawyer, Olinda Woodroffe, asked Detective Ngawati Chaplow, who investigated Mrs Muliaga's death, if the oxygen machine was tested to see if it was in working order before police took it from the house.
Mr Chaplow said: "Not at her home - not to my knowledge, no."
The detective then demonstrated to the court how Mrs Muliaga's machine sounded when its power supply was disconnected.
Earlier, the contractor who switched the power off said he did not hear an alarm sound.
Mr Chaplow explained that the loud beep was an indication that the machine was either malfunctioning or was going to stop.
Mr Muliaga told the court how his wife's oxygen machine would sometimes stop or parts would "get broken", after which he would attempt to repair it himself.
The inquest is expected to last for two weeks as witnesses including her children, doctors and cultural support workers take the stand.
In addition to lawyers for Mr Muliaga and Mrs Muliaga's nurse Diana Hart, there are legal teams representing the Muliaga children, Mercury Energy, Counties Manukau District Health Board and Vircom, the Mercury Energy contractor whose employee disconnected the Muliagas' power.
FAMILY LIVING DAY BY DAY SINCE DEATH
Almost a year after the death of their mother and wife, the children and husband of South Auckland woman Folole Muliaga are gradually moving on with their lives.
Yesterday, an inquest into the death of the 45-year-old Mangere resident brought back sad memories for her husband, Lopaavea Muliaga, and the couple's four children, Ietitaia, Desmond, Mowena and Eden.
Family spokesman Brenden Sheehan said the past year had been a hard one for the Muliaga family, but they had learned to take it "day by day".
"Life's been very tough for them. It's been hard without Mum and they're somewhat lost.
"Lopa has developed high blood pressure and diabetes this past year. It's not a happy story."
Mr Sheehan said the family, close to begin with, had become even closer since Mrs Muliaga's death.
"Lopa has described that he's become the mother and the father to their kids.
"They've banded together and they just take it day by day."
Mr Sheehan said the family had decided to move from their Mangere Bridge house where Mrs Muliaga died after they had become "known" from television media coverage.
"The boys didn't feel comfortable any more. You saw the house and the number, so they moved."
Mr Sheehan said the children were coping well, succeeding in school.
"One of the boys got an arts scholarship last year and the other is waiting for an apprenticeship to come through.
"Lopa wants their kids to do well, because that's what their mother would have wanted."
WHAT HAPPENED
May 11: Folole Muliaga discharged from Middlemore Hospital.
May 14: New oxygen machine delivered to Mrs Muliaga because the old machine had "broken parts".
May 21: Urgent notice from power company Mercury Energy for an overdue bill of $168.40 to be paid.
May 23: Disconnection notice sent out.
May 29:
About 11am: Mercury Energy contractor arrives at the Muliaga house to switch off the family's power supply.
About 1pm: Mrs Muliaga dies.
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY NZPA
