Favona homicide: Victim's son accused of being at drug deal on night his mother died

South Auckland grandmother 57-year-old Meliame Fisi'ihoi was shot and killed with a bullet allegedly intended for her son. Photo / NZME

The man a bullet was intended for on the night Meliame Fisi'ihoi was fatally shot was out doing a drug deal, a court heard today.

The trial for brothers Falala Iongi and Valiami Iongi, and cousin Manu Iongi, jointly charged with murdering the South Auckland grandmother, resumed today at the High Court in Auckland.

Brothers Falala and Valiami Iongi have also pleaded not guilty to charges of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at an incident at the same house in December 2019.

Falala Iongi's lawyer Graeme Newell accused Stephen Fisi'ihoi of lying and being selective in what he told the jury on the night his mother was murdered.

"Ninety minutes before your mother was murdered you were meeting someone else for a drug deal?" Newell said.

" I can't remember," Fisi'ihoi said.

Meliame Fisi'ihoi was shot through a window at her home in January 2020 after she went to investigate a noise.

The gunshot was fired from close range, killing the mother of six instantly.

Today Stephen Fisi'ihoi took the witness stand for the second time, in front of Justice Grant Powell.

Fisi'ihoi who is known as "3Mag", told the court he was staying at his girlfriend's house when he awoke to news his mother had been killed.

"I was in shock. I turned on my phone and I had like 100 missed calls and texts from my family," Fisi'ihoi said.

Newell accused Fisi'ihoi of becoming a regular at ripping people off in drug deals and changing the story he gave to police.

"You told the police that there was a number of people that could have done this to your mother and that the people involved in the December shootings [the Iongi brothers] didn't kill your mother.

"You continue to tell the police everything was 'all good' between you and the people behind the December shooting and that you had spoken to them about it," Newell said.

For two years Fisi'ihoi refused to tell police who was behind the December shootings.

"It is against g-code [gang code] to dob on other gang members to the police," Fisi'ihoi said.

But in February 2022, after being released from a two-year prison stint, Fisi'ihoi decided to tell police who was behind the December shootings.

"I told the police because it was the right thing to do and I wanted someone to be held accountable for my mother's ... shooting," Fisi'ihoi said.

Viliami Iongi's lawyer John Munro asked if Fisi'ihoi felt responsible for his mother's death.

He replied: "I absolutely do."

Munro then asked if he had been pressured by his family to find the killer of his mother.

"You gave that statement saying the Iongi brothers were responsible for the December shootings to get your family off your back didn't you?" Munro asked.

"No, I saw the Iongi brothers with my own eyes [in December]. They were on my property with the gun," Fisi'ihoi replied.

"I went to the police to give a statement because my mother had been shot. She had been killed," Fisi'ihoi said.

A frustrated Fisi'ihoi then stood up and walked away from the video link he was giving evidence through.

The trial is set to continue for five weeks.