Struggling to stand from her grief, the distraught mother of a teenage boy stabbed to death at the Sydney Easter Show says she wished people had stepped in to help her dying son, rather than filming his attack on their phones.
Uati ‘Pele’ Faletolu died during his shift at the Show on April 11, after he was allegedly caught up in a brawl between gang members from warring western Sydney postcodes.
His mother Janice told mourners at Hillsong Church on Friday morning that her boy was ‘stabbed through the heart’.
‘I wish everyone who was there put down their phones and helped my boy,’ she said through tears.
Her youngest son, 15-year-old Mase, squeezed his mum’s shoulder and turned his head from the crowd.
‘Maybe he’d still be here,’ Mrs Faletolu said.
Uati’s killer remains on the run. Frustrated police blame ‘misguided loyalty’ for witnesses being unwilling to help investigators.
Uati ‘Pele’ Faletolu died during his shift at the Sydney Royal Easter Show on April 11, after he was allegedly caught up in a brawl between gang members from warring western Sydney postcodes
Uati’s girlfriend, Taylor Piliae (pictured) told the crowd at his funeral she knew he would have made ‘the best dad’
On Friday, hundreds of grieving family and friends, including Uati’s pregnant girlfriend Taylor Piliae, arrived at Hillsong Church in Baulkham Hills for their final farewells
Hundreds of mourners joined the family and Uati’s pregnant girlfriend Taylor Piliae for the emotion-charged farewell.
Many wore matching black shirts and hoodies with a picture of Uati smiling and the words ‘forever 17’ emblazoned on the back.
The church was so crowded many mourners had to watch the service from outside. Others crammed into the top floor and sat in the stairwell to watch down on proceedings.
Uati’s mother (left) said her son was the ‘man of the house’ and ‘took his role very seriously’ during her moving eulogy in which she criticised witnesses of his death for not putting their phones down
Teenage boys tried with all their might to remain stoic but tears rolled down their cheeks as Mrs Faletolu continued to pay tribute to her son, supported by her surviving three children.
The packed church was silent save for the occasional sniffle. Young boys, many of whom looked no older than Uati, kept their heads down throughout her eulogy.
Ms Faletolu told the story of her son’s short life – stolen from him just months before he was due to become a father.
The family moved to Australia in 2017 and, by that point, Uati was already the man of the household.
‘He took the role very seriously,’ Ms Faletolu noted. His father died in 2005, the same year Uati was born, and even as a young boy he felt a great sense of responsibility to his family.
His casket was draped in white roses and was removed from the church ahead of his cremation
Mourners performed a moving haka after the service had ended, as his casket was being driven away
Uati’s father died in 2005, the same year Uati was born, and even as a young boy he felt a great sense of responsibility to his family
Ms Piliae shared the same story Uati’s mother did, how he was determined to use his pay packet from the Easter Show to begin preparations for his baby
Uati had dreams of becoming an NRL player and, for a while, his family had high hopes he’d actually make it. He had the talent. But it wasn’t to be and after leaving school in 2021, he told his mum he wanted to go back and get his HSC. He had a new goal. He was going to become a teacher.
‘I couldn’t believe it,’ Ms Faletolu told the crowd. Many laughed along with her. ‘Uati, a teacher? After he’d caused his own teachers so much grief?’
She was so proud. But Uati had to prove himself to even get back into the classroom. Most teachers didn’t want him there a second time.
Within three weeks of returning to school, life threw yet another spanner in the works.
Uati’s girlfriend Taylor was pregnant.
‘I was so disappointed,’ Ms Faletolu confessed. ‘He was just so young. But now I know it was a blessing in disguise.’
Ms Piliae announced her pregnancy via her sister’s Instagram page just days after his death
Uati decided instantly he would leave school again. It was time to get a job, he thought, and start making money for his family.
He got a short term contract at the Easter show, helping to man the Break Dance ride.
‘It was to save money for bub and Taylor, and now he’s dead. My boy was stabbed through the heart… now my heart is so full of hate,’ Ms Faletolu said.
Speaking directly to her son’s accused killer, who remains on the run, Ms Faletolu said: ‘I’ll forgive you one day, but I’ll never forget.’
After Ms Faletolu addressed the crowd, a tearful Ms Piliae took to the podium. Initially, she was going to speak alone, but as she struggled to compose herself Uati’s younger brother, Mase, joined her on stage.
Following a moment’s reassurance, Ms Piliae pressed on, describing Uati as ‘the best boyfriend and the best everything to everyone’.
‘I wish I had 10 more minutes with you to tell you how much you’re appreciated. You would have been the best dad.
‘I promise I’ll take care of our baby.’
Uati had dreams of becoming an NRL player and, for a while, his family had high hopes he’d actually make it. He had the talent
Ms Piliae shared the same story Uati’s mother did, how he was determined to use his pay packet from the Easter Show to begin preparations for his baby.
She said even as his girlfriend, she had no idea just how much of an impact Uati had on the hundreds of mourners gathered to say their final goodbyes.
Police were stationed on the outskirts of the Hillsong church, prepared for anything that could have potentially gone wrong.
But the service went off without a hitch; the entire Faletolu family sung together in Uati’s honour while his mates performed a moving haka as his casket was transported to the crematorium.
There are fears a postcode gang war between rival western Sydney gangs, the 67 from Doonside and the 27 from Mount Druitt, may have sparked the melee that caused Uati’s death.
The groups are named after their respective postcodes 2767, and 2770.
It’s understood Uati belonged to the Doonside gang and in a video of the arrest, another teenager yelled ‘six, seven, motherf**ker’ as police officers secured his handcuffs.
Faletolu’s grieving girlfriend was supported by her siblings during a memorial for him the night after his death
A 15-year-old boy arrested at the scene was still being question by police and granted bail. He attended the funeral
A 15-year-old boy was charged with affray and carrying a knife on Tuesday, but his charges do not relate to the fatal stabbing. He was released on conditional bail and was present at the funeral.
The court heard the teenager had allegedly pulled a knife and chased three unknown men after learning Uati had been stabbed.
NSW Police do not believe he was responsible for the fatal blow and are still looking for those responsible.
While the brawl was captured in footage, the person who allegedly stabbed Uati has not been identified from available security video.
The CCTV footage police have examined is too grainy and dark to make a positive identification.
Police have called for witnesses to come forward and provide further video footage as evidence.
The adult section of the Easter Show was closed to the public as the investigation into Uati’s death got underway
Uati’s younger brother was allegedly seen on viral footage sitting on the ground in handcuffs after the melee.
Detectives told Daily Mail Australia they know there is mobile phone footage out there as there were a ‘significant amount of juveniles’ seen filming the event.
Homicide squad boss Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said they may not be co-operating ‘due to either misguided loyalties or fear of retribution’.
‘Of the vision we have already reviewed, we know there was a significant amount of people filming the incident, many of whom have not yet supplied the vision to police,’ he said.
‘In our experience, it is likely that someone – or many people – has unknowingly captured a clear shot of something of relevance to the investigation.’
Uati ‘Pele’ Faletolu died during his shift at the Sydney Royal Easter Show on April 11, after he was allegedly caught up in a brawl between gang members from warring western Sydney postcodes
Uati (pictured) has been remembered by his heartbroken mother as a happy young man with a big heart