Philip Polkinghorne at the first day of his trial for the murder of his wife at the High Court at Auckland. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
Content warning: This story has mentions of suicide.
If walls could talk - a large upmarket house in Remuera is the scene of a criminal trial in Auckland of a retired eye surgeon accused of murdering his wife.
A jury is to decide if Pauline Hanna's death in the house over a long weekend in 2021 was suicide as the defence argues or, as the Crown alleges, a murder staged as one.
The six-week trial of Philip Polkinghorne began in the High Court in Auckland this week. Here's what we know so far.
The couple lived at a multi-million dollar Remuera home, with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, and had had been married for over 20 years - to the outside world they had it all.
They had no children together but Polkinghorne had three children from a previous marriage.
Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock told the court on Monday their marriage was unhappy, that Polkinghorne was a "heavy" meth user who was living a secret "double life" with a prostitute and that finances had become a strain because of this.
The Crown alleges there was a violent struggle between the couple.
"He strangled her either with his hands with the forearm or with something soft or smooth around her neck. He did so, perhaps whilst angry and high or low, or just plain strung out on methamphetamine," McClintock said.
"Then he staged the scene to make it look like his wife's death was a suicide.
"It will sound shocking, like something from a crime novel but on the evidence that you will hear over the coming weeks, Miss Hanna's death can only have been either a murder or suicide."
The lawyer for Polkinghorne, Ron Mansfield KC, said there was no evidence of a struggle, disagreement or assault but that Hanna - he called her Mrs Polkinghorne - was suicidal, had been taking medication for depression for years, and that her death was self-inflicted.
"You will see by way of evidence that they were getting on well, that there was no need for an argument, there was no need for a fight. There was no escalation into an assault fatal or otherwise.
"Dr Polkinghorne simply went to bed and when he got up in the morning, he discovered his wife in that position having hung herself."
It took police 16 months to lay the murder charge against Polkinghorne.
On Monday morning before the trial began, he pleaded guilty to two other charges that had been suppressed - possession of the class A drug methamphetamine and possession of a pipe, at the time his wife died.
Sunday 4 April 2021
McClintock said over Easter weekend of 2021, "63 year old Pauline Hanna did a series of things that were normal for her".
"She trained with her personal trainer at the gym. She took dinner to some friends who were unwell. She went to the rubbish tip.
"She did some work. She did some work at home, the home she shared with her husband, the defendant, Dr Philip Polkinghorne."
Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
McClintock said Hanna also helped her husband with a letter concerning his impending retirement.
She said Hanna's last text was sent around 8.18pm that night and her last work e-mail was sent just before 9.30pm.
"The last e-mail was an email to Dr Polkinghorne, about this letter about his impending retirement and then her digital footprint stopped forever."
McClintock said Polkinghorne's mobile data usage that evening showed "he was active on his phone overnight".
He deleted his WhatsApp history with the prostitute Madison Ashton and asked her to delete hers.
McClintock said he attempted to access an encrypted web browser, designed to prevent people from seeing what it is that you are searching.
"He searched how to delete iCloud storage and he searched leg edema after strangulation. Then he deleted that search afterwards."
McClintock said Polkinghorne told police they had slept in separate beds that night and that he had gone to bed at 10pm.
The Crown alleges Polkinghorne strangled his wife some time that night and before he made the call to police the next morning.
Easter Monday 5 April, 2021
Polkinghorne told police he woke up at 6am but stayed in bed before going downstairs to make breakfast, tea and toast.
Shortly after 8am Polkinghorne called 111 to report his wife's death as a suicide by hanging.
"On the morning of Easter Monday 5 April, 2021, the police were called. The call was made by the defendant. Miss Hanna was dead," McClintock said.
"Dr Polkinghorne said to the 111 operator she's hung herself."
On Monday, the jury was played that 111 call, in which the operator told him to cut her down and check for signs of life. Polkinghorne told the operator "she's blue, she's cold".
Ambulance officers arrived, then the police.
A police constable took a statement from Polkinghorne, during which time officers investigating the scene began to treat it as suspicious.
Polkinghorne was taken to College Hill police station for an interview and this took five hours.
"Dr Polkinghorne had told police that he got up and went downstairs, using the stairs on the far side of the house on the left hand side, so away from the Darwin Lane entrance where Ms Hanna was found," McClintock said.
"He'd gone down there and into the kitchen, which was in the middle, lower ground there, to make her tea and toast that morning when he saw her body lying in the Darwin Lane entranceway.
"But neither the kettle nor the toaster appear to have been on and you'll hear evidence about that."
McClintock said there were things about the scene that did not add up as a suicide and police spent days examining the house.
The trial heard from experts about elements of the scene this week.
The meth habit
The Crown alleges Polkinghorne had a heavy and problematic meth habit and that this was among the reasons he killed his wife.
McClintock said police found 37.7 grams of meth in the house, in different rooms.
"In the office, in the bedside drawers of the master bedroom where he slept, in the bathroom of the master bedroom and the ensuite bathroom of the room where Ms Hanna had slept the night before."
She said Polkinghorne's DNA was found on containers containing the meth and that hair and urine testing of Hanna did not find traces of the drug.
She said police found a pipe used to smoke meth and a lighter under the bed in the master bedroom where Polkinghorne slept, and meth in the bedside drawers at the side of the bed where he slept.
McClintock said a meth pipe was found at Polkinghorne's place of work, Auckland Eye, in late 2020.
"It was of the same physical appearance as the one that was later found at 121 Upland Rd, Dr Polkinghorne's house. It was found in a consultation room primarily used by Dr Polkinghorne."
She said testing done at the clinic confirmed meth had been used there.
"Dr Polkinghorne was identified as one of the people who could have been responsible for the pipe by Auckland Eye, but the issue was never fully resolved at the time."
Mansfield told the jury on Monday that Polkinghorne's meth use was recreational and that it played no part in his wife's death.
Ron Mansfield KC, the lawyer for Philip Polkinghorne. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
"There is no evidence that he had taken methamphetamine. There is no evidence that he was under the influence of methamphetamine, that he was high or low, or somehow affected by that drug," he said.
"There will be evidence of casual use of the drug, a drug which is used by many within our community, despite our views on it, without risk of argument, violence or homicide.
"But it played no part in Mrs Polkinghorne's death."
The couple's relationship
The couple's relationship and lifestyle will be scrutinised during the trial - the jury have been asked to put any prejudice aside.
The Crown alleges Hanna had become concerned about many aspects of their marriage and had contacted a private investigator to find out more.
McClintock said Hanna did not know the extent of her husband's "double life" with a prostitute and how he was financially supporting her without his wife's knowledge.
She said Hanna did not know Polkinghorne had also been seeing a prostitute in Auckland regularly.
McClintock said Hanna had participated in threesomes to please her husband but had become concerned about his obsession with group sex and his daily demands of sex from her.
She said Polkinghorne had spent the proceeds of the sale of a house that was solely in Hanna's name.
"He used that money on himself, on various sex workers, on his son, on shares for his kids, and on a vehicle in his name."
McClintock said Hanna told friends he had once tried to strangle her.
"At times he had become aggressive towards her. He was having several extramarital encounters. She was concerned what he was doing with their finances. This aspect of her life was distressing for Miss Hanna. She considered leaving her husband."
Mansfield said Polkinghorne loved his wife and she loved him.
"Their relationship at that time was perfectly happy," he said on Monday.
"There was no double life. They were open and they were honest with each other in relation to their lifestyle, which they both knew of and shared."
Mansfield said there was no controlling of the finances and that some of the witnesses will describe Hanna as "wearing the pants".
The trial continues next week.
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
What's Up: free counselling for 5 to 19 years old, online chat 11am-10.30pm 7days/week or free phone 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 11am-11pm Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
Healthline: 0800 611 116
Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm)
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
