August 2, 2024 • 14 mins
The first week of the trial of Philip Polkinghorne has come to an end.
While we’re in the early stages of evidence, the topics that will be covered in the case have been made clear.
Infidelity, threesomes, sex workers, a meth habit, financial concerns, depression, stress, and a Covid vaccine rollout: All this will be traversed over the next six weeks to answer the ultimate question of murder or suicide?
Day 4 focused on the rope found at the scene and analysis of it from a Canadian expert, before the state of the guest room and laundry in the couple's home was explored. Day 5 had a focus on some of the last photos seen of Hanna from the day before her death.
You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial through The Front Page podcast feed, or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.
This series is presented and produced by, Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sills and sound engineer Paddy Fox.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Kiyota.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and from the team behind the front
page the New Zealand Herald's daily news podcast, This is
Accused the Polkinghorn Trial. Over the next six weeks, in
conjunction with our usual daily episodes, will be bringing you
regular coverage as one of the most high profile trials
of the year makes its way through the High Court
(00:29):
at Auckland. A warning, this podcast contains disturbing content. The
first week of the trial of Philip Polkinghorn has come
to an end. He's accused of murdering his wife, Pauline
Hannah on April fifth, twenty twenty one. While we're in
(00:50):
the early stages of evidence, the topics that will be
covered in the case have been made clear in fidelity, threesomes,
sex workers, a financial concerns, depression, stress, and a COVID
vaccine rollout. All this will be traversed over the next
six weeks to answer the ultimate question, was it murder
(01:13):
or suicide? That question was under the microscope on day
four to recap Polkinghorn is accused of murdering Hannah by
strangling her either with his hands, forearm or something soft
and smooth while angry. High or low or strung out
(01:33):
on meth. The Crown says aspects of his double life
were getting harder and harder to keep under wraps. Evidence
suggests Hannah had discovered his drug habit and had told
her friends and family she was worried about how he
was spending their money, as well as his sexual demands
of her. The Crown says she was considering leaving him,
(01:54):
but admitted she still loved her husband despite his behavior.
This behavior of the Crown of Led includes aggression, emotional control,
and a prior incident in which her husband wrapped his
hands around her neck. It's alleged he staged the scene,
making it look like she'd hung herself with a rope
(02:15):
too long with not enough tension, as we heard about
on day three. On the other hand, Polkinghorn's defense maintains
she took her own life, having been overstressed working seven
am till ten pm, seven days a week in her
role overseeing the COVID vaccination rollout with County's Monaco digheb.
(02:36):
She was taking antidepressants, and it's claimed the combination of
drugs and alcohol left her prone to taking her life.
To explore further, if it was possible or not for
Hannah to have committed suicide. Day four of evidence began
with a Canadian forensic rope and not an analyst who
appeared via audio visual link, his face dotted around the
(02:58):
room thanks to five large TVs in the courtroom. Robert
Chisnell was contacted by ESR scientist Fiona Matheson about a
week after Pauline Hannah's body was found. He was sent
and asked to look at seventy six photographs of the knotted,
bright orange rope hanging from the balustrade. His evidence that
(03:21):
morning was highly technical. He spoke of knots, not memory s,
half hitches, residual twists.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Okay, so fifteen figures fifteen and sixteen, that's the cut
dang ligan of fear item one And if you notice
it's spirals up to the up and to the right.
It spirals up and to the right, and that's very
similar to spiraling on what's called Hassle laid rule. That's
(03:49):
zed lay and it suggests that it might have been
previously tied with zed half.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Hitches complicated right, especially without photos to aid you. The
jury was given a specific booklet of photos that included
color coded line drawings of these intricate knots and drapes.
Here's the conclusion Chesnel wrote in his report after he
had analyzed the photos he was given.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
So sorry you may have misunderstood me. I need you
to report to us please as you have from your
summary at b.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Okay, as observed in the photographs provided, Item three eight
zero zero one or figure one was knotted to or
draped over the railing of the balustrades. It was two
long and too insecure to spend any weight. The insecure
tangles collapsed, allowing the unknotted in to slide to the floor.
After this slippy, additional slack was still available at both ends. Further,
(04:45):
the loop knotted around the advistrads slipped down at some
point when the tangles collapsed.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Chisnel is based in Ontario, Canada, and use the back
deck balustrade at his home for a rope test. Defense
lawyer Mansfield took aim at the rope experts credentials.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
So you don't have an engineering qualification? No, I do not,
And I see from your qualifications that you have a
BSc is at a batchelor of science.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yes it is.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
And what was your primary subject and that qualification.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Yes, biology with a minor in math.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
So nothing in relation to ropes or the study of
knots or even anything forensic by way of science.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Later on, Chisnell would mention articles published in an array
of countries about not and rope analysis. He's also written
a book about the subject. Mansfield asked Chisnel why he
didn't ask to examine the rope and balustrade, which by
that time had been completely removed from the home. He
just set up a replica in his backyard. Chisnell wasn't
(06:08):
offered the opportunity to examine the actual balustrade. Mansfield also
questioned the rope the expert used in his testing. ESR
had bought the same rope found in the home at
Super Cheap Auto.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Could you say that again, please?
Speaker 4 (06:24):
You can get the same rope on eBay? Were you
aware of that?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
There was not?
Speaker 4 (06:31):
But I think if you don't have access to that
retail out there called super Cheap Auto, you would have
access to eBay, wouldn't you?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (06:43):
And despite the balustrade, it's your view, isn't it that
the rope would most likely slide down the balustrade? Correct?
If pressure was applied in a downward fashion.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Coract.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
The Crown Prosecutor Brian Dicky would later clarify any rope
would behave in the way Chisnel had described. Mansfield read
out part of Polkinghorn's videoed police interview done the afternoon
of his wife's death. In an attempt to demonstrate his
client's handling of the rope, he said he undid the
granny knots upstairs after getting his wife down and undoing
(07:22):
the belt and rope from around her neck. Brian Dickie
asked Chisnel if it was possible to determine if the
orange rope tied in four half hitch knots to the
top of the balustrade appeared to have been loosened. It
doesn't appear to have been, Chisnel said, because the half
hitches a snug. After Chisnel departed, Sergeant Christian Ioga was
(07:50):
called back to the stand. You'll remember he was in
charge of the scene examination. By April fifteenth, the scene
examination had been complete, and on this day then Auckland
Crown Solicitor Brian Dickie and a staffer visited the Upland
Road home. Mansfield questioned this, Why would they be there?
(08:12):
And was this when the police was contemplating charging him
with murder?
Speaker 4 (08:16):
But certainly the Oakland Crown Solicitor, if he does a
tend a homicide scene, wouldn't attend a scene where mithmphetamine
for someone's own use was found, would they? If it
was just in relation to myth and possession, then it's
not common. No, we're talking about another sixteen months, aren't
(08:38):
we before Dr Polkinhorn is actually charged with the current
charge he faces. That's about right, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
That's what happened. Yes, this goes back to Mansfield's first address,
describing a one eyed investigation based on an erroneous suspicion
and a desperate need to find everdence of a nature
that frankly never existed, he said. He asked Ioga about
the guest bedroom where Hannah had slept the night before,
(09:09):
while the room looked and disheveled, with an ottoman turned
to its side, pillows strewn around the room, He asked
whether there was any indication a body had been removed
from that room. There were no indications of blood in there,
other than the brown smudge on the fitted sheet at
the foot of the bed. There were no drag marks
on the carpet. Either partial or complete cases had been
(09:32):
taken off the pillows. Many found underneath the bedding that
was grouped up at the end of the bed.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
Pillowcases, I should mean this number of pillowcases are unlikely
to come off in a struggle or a fight, are
they unless it's a pillow fight. That's correct. So someone
has actually removed the pillow cases or pillow slips, and
it looks like there were some on the bed before
(10:02):
the bedding was put back that could have gone back
on them. Correct.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Correct? So was the room disheveled or was someone just
stripping the bedding? Mansfield questioned Ioga about the items found
in the laundry. A white top sheet was found damp
in the dryer.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
It appeared though that it was that it had been
in the dryer and that the drying cyval had left
it still damp. Correct. I can't confirm if it went
through a cycle, but it was damp, but it had
clearly been in the dryer and the dryer had been used.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
It was dry than the ones from the washing machine. News.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
I don't know if you know this. Let's see if
you do. Some people don't like clothes and or bedding
to be dried, so it's crispy dry because it makes
it difficult to be ironed. Is that you or not?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I like my petchhoots? Try okay?
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Do you own them?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
H Probably why there were women's clothes in the washing machine,
a pair of leggings, shoe in soles, tea towels and
Nike top and women's underwear. When the trial resumed on
day five, some of the last images of Pauline Hannah
alive were shown to the cord. It came in the
(11:29):
form of security footage from Enviro Ornihunger the tap or
dump should visit it. The day before, she was traveling
in the couple's red Sanyong yute with items secured on
the back with a bright orange rope.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
So it's clear, isn't it that on four eight pl one,
between the hours at two fifteen pm and three h
nine PM at Enviro nd Only hanger, we know that
missus Polkinhorn was in possession of the orange rope, was
secured load on her vehicle with the orong rope, and
then she has handled that orong rope then leaving with
(12:09):
it the tip.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
That afternoon, correct ESR forensic scientist Fiona Matheson went to
the scene and her role is to make assessments about
different scenarios that may have happened, and she's there to
take samples. In a trial, it's important for forensic evidence
to be very detailed. Much of it is clarifying processes
(12:31):
to the jury. How does luminol testing work, what is
a false positive, what does it mean when there is
a probable or possible chance of blood. It's all very
technical but necessary. From the Crown's opening, here's what Alicia
McClintock said.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Scientists from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research, they'll
come along and give the evidence about sing that they
carried out in the house, samples they took and things
they tested it for, testing for blood and things like
that within the house. And look, much of that evidence
didn't necessarily reveal anything the Crown relies on, but it
(13:12):
is important for you to know what testing was done,
and you need to know what wasn't found just as
much as you need to know what was found. It's
part of the assessment.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
That ends the first week of the trial of Philip Polkinghorn.
The trial continues on Monday, August fifth. You can listen
to episodes of Accused the Polkinghorn Trial through the front
Page podcast feed or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever
you get your podcasts. This series is presented and produced
(13:45):
by me Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sells and sound
engineer Paddy fox And. For more coverage of the Polkinghorn
trial had two ends at Herald dot co dot Enzy
Kiyota.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and from the team behind the front
page the New Zealand Herald's daily news podcast, This is
Accused the Polkinghorn Trial. Over the next six weeks, in
conjunction with our usual daily episodes, will be bringing you
regular coverage as one of the most high profile trials
of the year makes its way through the High Court
(00:29):
at Auckland. A warning, this podcast contains disturbing content. The
first week of the trial of Philip Polkinghorn has come
to an end. He's accused of murdering his wife, Pauline
Hannah on April fifth, twenty twenty one. While we're in
(00:50):
the early stages of evidence, the topics that will be
covered in the case have been made clear in fidelity, threesomes,
sex workers, a financial concerns, depression, stress, and a COVID
vaccine rollout. All this will be traversed over the next
six weeks to answer the ultimate question, was it murder
(01:13):
or suicide? That question was under the microscope on day
four to recap Polkinghorn is accused of murdering Hannah by
strangling her either with his hands, forearm or something soft
and smooth while angry. High or low or strung out
(01:33):
on meth. The Crown says aspects of his double life
were getting harder and harder to keep under wraps. Evidence
suggests Hannah had discovered his drug habit and had told
her friends and family she was worried about how he
was spending their money, as well as his sexual demands
of her. The Crown says she was considering leaving him,
(01:54):
but admitted she still loved her husband despite his behavior.
This behavior of the Crown of Led includes aggression, emotional control,
and a prior incident in which her husband wrapped his
hands around her neck. It's alleged he staged the scene,
making it look like she'd hung herself with a rope
(02:15):
too long with not enough tension, as we heard about
on day three. On the other hand, Polkinghorn's defense maintains
she took her own life, having been overstressed working seven
am till ten pm, seven days a week in her
role overseeing the COVID vaccination rollout with County's Monaco digheb.
(02:36):
She was taking antidepressants, and it's claimed the combination of
drugs and alcohol left her prone to taking her life.
To explore further, if it was possible or not for
Hannah to have committed suicide. Day four of evidence began
with a Canadian forensic rope and not an analyst who
appeared via audio visual link, his face dotted around the
(02:58):
room thanks to five large TVs in the courtroom. Robert
Chisnell was contacted by ESR scientist Fiona Matheson about a
week after Pauline Hannah's body was found. He was sent
and asked to look at seventy six photographs of the knotted,
bright orange rope hanging from the balustrade. His evidence that
(03:21):
morning was highly technical. He spoke of knots, not memory s,
half hitches, residual twists.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Okay, so fifteen figures fifteen and sixteen, that's the cut
dang ligan of fear item one And if you notice
it's spirals up to the up and to the right.
It spirals up and to the right, and that's very
similar to spiraling on what's called Hassle laid rule. That's
(03:49):
zed lay and it suggests that it might have been
previously tied with zed half.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Hitches complicated right, especially without photos to aid you. The
jury was given a specific booklet of photos that included
color coded line drawings of these intricate knots and drapes.
Here's the conclusion Chesnel wrote in his report after he
had analyzed the photos he was given.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
So sorry you may have misunderstood me. I need you
to report to us please as you have from your
summary at b.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Okay, as observed in the photographs provided, Item three eight
zero zero one or figure one was knotted to or
draped over the railing of the balustrades. It was two
long and too insecure to spend any weight. The insecure
tangles collapsed, allowing the unknotted in to slide to the floor.
After this slippy, additional slack was still available at both ends. Further,
(04:45):
the loop knotted around the advistrads slipped down at some
point when the tangles collapsed.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Chisnel is based in Ontario, Canada, and use the back
deck balustrade at his home for a rope test. Defense
lawyer Mansfield took aim at the rope experts credentials.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
So you don't have an engineering qualification? No, I do not,
And I see from your qualifications that you have a
BSc is at a batchelor of science.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yes it is.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
And what was your primary subject and that qualification.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Yes, biology with a minor in math.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
So nothing in relation to ropes or the study of
knots or even anything forensic by way of science.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Later on, Chisnell would mention articles published in an array
of countries about not and rope analysis. He's also written
a book about the subject. Mansfield asked Chisnel why he
didn't ask to examine the rope and balustrade, which by
that time had been completely removed from the home. He
just set up a replica in his backyard. Chisnell wasn't
(06:08):
offered the opportunity to examine the actual balustrade. Mansfield also
questioned the rope the expert used in his testing. ESR
had bought the same rope found in the home at
Super Cheap Auto.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Could you say that again, please?
Speaker 4 (06:24):
You can get the same rope on eBay? Were you
aware of that?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
There was not?
Speaker 4 (06:31):
But I think if you don't have access to that
retail out there called super Cheap Auto, you would have
access to eBay, wouldn't you?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (06:43):
And despite the balustrade, it's your view, isn't it that
the rope would most likely slide down the balustrade? Correct?
If pressure was applied in a downward fashion.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Coract.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
The Crown Prosecutor Brian Dicky would later clarify any rope
would behave in the way Chisnel had described. Mansfield read
out part of Polkinghorn's videoed police interview done the afternoon
of his wife's death. In an attempt to demonstrate his
client's handling of the rope, he said he undid the
granny knots upstairs after getting his wife down and undoing
(07:22):
the belt and rope from around her neck. Brian Dickie
asked Chisnel if it was possible to determine if the
orange rope tied in four half hitch knots to the
top of the balustrade appeared to have been loosened. It
doesn't appear to have been, Chisnel said, because the half
hitches a snug. After Chisnel departed, Sergeant Christian Ioga was
(07:50):
called back to the stand. You'll remember he was in
charge of the scene examination. By April fifteenth, the scene
examination had been complete, and on this day then Auckland
Crown Solicitor Brian Dickie and a staffer visited the Upland
Road home. Mansfield questioned this, Why would they be there?
(08:12):
And was this when the police was contemplating charging him
with murder?
Speaker 4 (08:16):
But certainly the Oakland Crown Solicitor, if he does a
tend a homicide scene, wouldn't attend a scene where mithmphetamine
for someone's own use was found, would they? If it
was just in relation to myth and possession, then it's
not common. No, we're talking about another sixteen months, aren't
(08:38):
we before Dr Polkinhorn is actually charged with the current
charge he faces. That's about right, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
That's what happened. Yes, this goes back to Mansfield's first address,
describing a one eyed investigation based on an erroneous suspicion
and a desperate need to find everdence of a nature
that frankly never existed, he said. He asked Ioga about
the guest bedroom where Hannah had slept the night before,
(09:09):
while the room looked and disheveled, with an ottoman turned
to its side, pillows strewn around the room, He asked
whether there was any indication a body had been removed
from that room. There were no indications of blood in there,
other than the brown smudge on the fitted sheet at
the foot of the bed. There were no drag marks
on the carpet. Either partial or complete cases had been
(09:32):
taken off the pillows. Many found underneath the bedding that
was grouped up at the end of the bed.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
Pillowcases, I should mean this number of pillowcases are unlikely
to come off in a struggle or a fight, are
they unless it's a pillow fight. That's correct. So someone
has actually removed the pillow cases or pillow slips, and
it looks like there were some on the bed before
(10:02):
the bedding was put back that could have gone back
on them. Correct.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Correct? So was the room disheveled or was someone just
stripping the bedding? Mansfield questioned Ioga about the items found
in the laundry. A white top sheet was found damp
in the dryer.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
It appeared though that it was that it had been
in the dryer and that the drying cyval had left
it still damp. Correct. I can't confirm if it went
through a cycle, but it was damp, but it had
clearly been in the dryer and the dryer had been used.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
It was dry than the ones from the washing machine. News.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
I don't know if you know this. Let's see if
you do. Some people don't like clothes and or bedding
to be dried, so it's crispy dry because it makes
it difficult to be ironed. Is that you or not?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I like my petchhoots? Try okay?
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Do you own them?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
H Probably why there were women's clothes in the washing machine,
a pair of leggings, shoe in soles, tea towels and
Nike top and women's underwear. When the trial resumed on
day five, some of the last images of Pauline Hannah
alive were shown to the cord. It came in the
(11:29):
form of security footage from Enviro Ornihunger the tap or
dump should visit it. The day before, she was traveling
in the couple's red Sanyong yute with items secured on
the back with a bright orange rope.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
So it's clear, isn't it that on four eight pl one,
between the hours at two fifteen pm and three h
nine PM at Enviro nd Only hanger, we know that
missus Polkinhorn was in possession of the orange rope, was
secured load on her vehicle with the orong rope, and
then she has handled that orong rope then leaving with
(12:09):
it the tip.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
That afternoon, correct ESR forensic scientist Fiona Matheson went to
the scene and her role is to make assessments about
different scenarios that may have happened, and she's there to
take samples. In a trial, it's important for forensic evidence
to be very detailed. Much of it is clarifying processes
(12:31):
to the jury. How does luminol testing work, what is
a false positive, what does it mean when there is
a probable or possible chance of blood. It's all very
technical but necessary. From the Crown's opening, here's what Alicia
McClintock said.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Scientists from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research, they'll
come along and give the evidence about sing that they
carried out in the house, samples they took and things
they tested it for, testing for blood and things like
that within the house. And look, much of that evidence
didn't necessarily reveal anything the Crown relies on, but it
(13:12):
is important for you to know what testing was done,
and you need to know what wasn't found just as
much as you need to know what was found. It's
part of the assessment.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
That ends the first week of the trial of Philip Polkinghorn.
The trial continues on Monday, August fifth. You can listen
to episodes of Accused the Polkinghorn Trial through the front
Page podcast feed or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever
you get your podcasts. This series is presented and produced
(13:45):
by me Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sells and sound
engineer Paddy fox And. For more coverage of the Polkinghorn
trial had two ends at Herald dot co dot Enzy
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