Chelsea Daniels: ZB reporter on the Crown outlining the habits of Philip Polkinghorne during murder trial

Philip Polkinghorne's relationship with his wife has been a key theme on the first day of his murder trial.

The Auckland eye surgeon has accused of killing Pauline Hanna in their Remuera home in 2021, but his defence claims she took her own life.

Lawyer Ron Mansfield says the couple had an open and loving relationship.

Chelsea Daniels has been in court.

She says the prosecution has laid out its theory on events before Hanna's death.

"The Crown alleges a struggle took place, given Hanna had injuries to her nose, scalp - and bruises on her arm, marks on the left side of her back. Polkinghorne had a fresh cut on his forehead that he couldn't explain."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So one of the most anticipated murder cases of the
year has begun in the Auckland High Court today with
surprising and eye opening detail. Philip Polkinghorn, a successful eye surgeon,
has been accused of strangling his wife and making it
look like suicide today in the court. Pauline Hanner, his wife,

(00:21):
was found dead in the couple's Remuere home on Easter
Monday back in twenty twenty one. Chelsea Daniels is covering
the trial for US and joins us now, good afternoon, Chelsea,
So tell us how the day begin Well.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Andrew Polkinghorn started the trial today with guilty please to
possession of methan fetamine and possession of a methan fetamine pipe.
For the last two years the charges were not allowed
to be reported, but suppression lapsed with that admission of guilt.
The guilty please leave just one charge remaining for the
six week trial and that's.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Murder, all right. So what does the crown allege actually
happened to Pauline Well.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
First, Alicia McLintock, the Crown prosecutor, went through what happened
that weekend. Pauline Hannah did a series of things that
were just so normal for her. She took pride in
her work and also took pride in her appearance, but
there was one aspect of her life that was troubling.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
He was spending large amounts of money on sex workers
and engaging and a number of extramarital encounters and relationships.
He had a problematic myth amphetamine habit. He was spending
marital finances in many ways that benefited only himself.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
The Crown says it'll prove that Polkinghorn's claim that his
wife took her own life as false and that he
actually staged the scene. Mcclintoc told the court of the
way Hannah was found by paramedics, details about a rope
and a belt that were found in the house.

Speaker 4 (01:58):
Round allegs evident in this case will show the rope
was too loosely tied to have sufficient tension to kill
miss Hannah, and simply too long.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
The Crown alleges a struggle took place, given Hannah had
injuries to her nose, scalp and bruises on her arm,
marks on the left side of her back, and Polkinghort
had a fresh cut on his forehead that he couldn't explain. Meanwhile,
defense lawyer Ron Mansfield is adamant Hannah took her own life.

Speaker 5 (02:27):
This is a case where the Crown know that there
is no pathology to support its theory of a homicide.
The Crown knows that there is no evidence of an
argument that evening. The Crown knows that there is no

(02:47):
evidence of any methamphetamine use by Dr Poalbingporn that night.
The Crown knows that there is no evidence of any
arguing disagreement or an assault lead alone a fatal assault.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
So he did plead guilty though to possession of myth
and a pipe. So how much myth was found around
the house?

Speaker 5 (03:16):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (03:17):
Police found thirty seven point seven grams of meth dotted
all around the house in the master bedroom, bathrooms, and study.
A meth pipe, meth and a lighter was found in
the main bedroom where Polkinghorn slept. Hannah had slept in
another bedroom the night before her death. And Hannah appears
to have also been grappling with doctor Polkinghorn's meth habits.
Apparently she searched privately on the Internet prior to his death.

(03:39):
What sensation does p give you? For instance, what does
a pea pipe look like? These searches were made just
three months before her death. The searchers suggest an ignorance
about drug use. The Crown says, all right.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
Let's talk about this. This other character in this tale,
and her name is Madisone Eshton, and she's actually featured
in social pages being pictured with the poking corn who
is medicine Eshton. And will she take the stand?

Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, so she is a Sydney sex worker Polkinghorn had
been seeing before Hannah's death. She will take the stand.
Later in the trial, McClintock said Hannah admitted to friends
that she had actually joined the pair in a threesome
reluctantly in Australia, but would then become concerned with her
husband's obsession with group sex, she said. She said he

(04:32):
had been living a double life with Ashton before his
wife died and even afterwards, and he apparently deleted WhatsApp
messages with Ashton after her death and asked her to
do the same.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
All right, And they've also heard and I think we've
heard it on our news. But let's play this again.
This is the one one one call that Philip Polkinghorn
made on the night, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
Yeah, we heard that in court. Take a listen.

Speaker 5 (04:55):
You there, I'm here. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
Now she's did.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Okay, So so tell it. Why do you believe that
you need part?

Speaker 3 (05:05):
So?

Speaker 5 (05:05):
Why do you believe that she's dead?

Speaker 1 (05:07):
Because I can't do a punk on the dodge of
and she's blue, she's cold.

Speaker 2 (05:12):
So the trial is continuing in the High Court at Auckland, all.

Speaker 1 (05:15):
Right, and Chelsea Daniels will be covering it right the
way through. We'll have more coverage from Chelsea on the trial.
You can also listen to the podcast that we're making
about this trial. It is called Accused the Poking Horn Trial.
You'll find it on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

Speaker 5 (05:31):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
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