Philip Polkinghorne trial: Eye surgeon tells detective how he found wife dead

Wednesday, 7 August 2024

In Philip Polkinghorne's trial, first responders testified about the scene of his wife's death, which he claims was a suicide. Police initially found the situation suspicious, noting injuries and inconsistencies.

Warning: The details of this case may be distressing for some readers.

Health boss Pauline Hanna was found dead on April 5, 2021 at the Remuera home she shared with her husband.

After an extensive and lengthy police investigation, her husband, eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne, was charged with murder.

Polkinghorne has pleaded not guilty and the trial under way at the High Court in Auckland.

In a small interview room hours after he told emergency services he found his wife dead, Philip Polkinghorne detailed to a detective the days leading up to Easter Monday 2021 the moment he found his wife slouched in a chair.

Polkinghorne, a 71-year-old eye doctor, has denied murdering his wife Pauline Hanna. She was found dead in the entranceway of their Remuera home on April 5, Easter Monday, in 2021. The trial is under way at the High Court in Auckland.

Polkinghorne wasn’t charged with murder until 16 months after Hanna’s death.

The Crown’s case is that Polkinghorne was living a double life, he had obsession with sex and meth and was in a covert relationship with an escort in Sydney. It argues Polkinghorne murdered Hanna before staging their home to make it look like suicide.

Philip Polkinghorne has denied killing his wife

Polkinghorne’s defence is that Hanna had a history of mental health issues, was on medication, was exhausted by work and tragically took her own life.

Ahead of trial, Polkinghorne admitted charges of possessing methamphetamine and a pipe to smoke the A-class drug.

On Wednesday afternoon, the jury watched part of the DVD interview Polkinghorne gave to Detective Ilona Walton on the afternoon of April 5.

Sitting back on a blue sofa, Polkinghorne detailed the days before he said he found Hanna dead.

He told Walton the pair had a disagreement a couple of days before her death when the were with his sister for dinner.

Polkinghorne said Hanna was 'very meticulous' and there was a disagreement about the bach at Ring’s Beach.

'There was no raised voices, I'm trying to find a whole of things that may have triggered it,' Polkinghorne said.

'She's never hit me and I've never hit her. I'm appalled at that. Can't stand it…' he said.

Pauline Hanna was found dead on April 5.

Moving to the day before Hanna’s death, Polkinghorne told Walton they pair were “much more amiable”.

He told the detectvie Hanna took some meals to friends over on the North Shore and then came back and the pair had a couple of drinks in the library.

They discussed some of Hanna's work regarding the Covid-19 response and logistics.

Hanna was “delighted” to have cleared out the garage and in spite of difficulties at work, she cooked a nice dinner.

“I said it’s the best thing I’ve eaten all year,” he said.

Polkinghorne told the detective on Sunday night they weren't 'niggling at all'.

Hanna drank a bottle and half of red - 'I think that's too much' - he said.

While he drank a couple of glasses.

But Hanna wasn't drunk, he said.

The pair watched a couple of episodes of a medical drama on Netflix and she went to bed after helping him draft a letter for his work.

The Remuera home of Philip Polkinghorne and his wife Pauline Hanna.

He then went to bed after finishing some work. Polkinghorne told police they slept in separate bedrooms and had been doing so for about a year.

‘I knew she was dead straightaway’

The eye surgeon told Walton he made Hanna breakfast in bed every day - a piece of McKenzie bread toast with Olivani margarine and Rose’s lime marmalade with a cup of French Earl Grey Tea.

On that Monday, he couldn’t recall the exact time he got up as he was confused with the daylight saving time, but he went downstairs and turned the jug on and put the toast in.

“For some reason or other I walked down to the other end of the house towards…I saw Pauline there and she was slouched and there was a chair there.”

He saw her dressing gown half on, half off and could see her arm was blue.

'I went over and she was cold and I knew she was dead straightaway.'

Polkinghorne said he didn't think Hanna's face was contorted but 'I wouldn't say she looked at peace or anything'.

'I sort of panicked and I couldn’t use my phone and I went and got the house phone…'

'I just, pathetic….my brain couldn’t work I didn’t know what to do,“ he said.

Polkinghorne told Walton he was trying to 'put her down flat' and he dropped the phone and was 'just sobbing uncontrollably'.

'I lay her down and by the time Ruth (his sister) came over we gave her a pillow and tried to make her comfortable which sounds stupid.'

He said when he got Hanna off the chair her legs buckled.

The bread in the toaster at the Polkinghorne house in Remuera.

“It was a dogs breakfast what I did there,” he said.

‘It looked awful just hanging there’

Walton again asked Polkinghorne about the position he found Hanna in the chair and also the rope.

'I was surprised that the balustrade would take a weight…shall we say a dead weight of 70kgs.'

“It looked awful just hanging there … it just was horrible the rope and then she’s down there on the floor.”

But Walton pointed out when she arrived at the Remuera home the rope was still hanging and tied to the balustrade.

'I could have sworn I’d taken it off,' he said.

He then told the detective how he tried to put Hanna’s dressing gown on properly.

'That's why we covered her up….we left her head exposed….but yea I felt like she needed some dignity.'

Earlier in the interview, Polkinghorne wondered aloud as to why Hanna had phoned her niece, nephew and his mother the day before she died.

“She doesn’t usually…she hates talking on the phone.”

‘I didn’t say goodbye’

The orange nylon rope tied to the balustrade inside Philip Polkinghorne's Remuera home.

At another point in the interview, Polkinghorne asked Walton if he could visit Hanna at the mortuary.

“I didn’t say goodbye to her today,” he sobbed.

The detective said she’d need clearance for that.

'I also would like her to be in some clothes so that’s she’s got some dignity not in just a body bag or something horrible…'

'I know its beyond your brief….shouldn'tve asked.'

Walton suggested going to see her at the funeral home.

'Of course I can say goodbye to her there not a bloody cold mortuary…I’ll do it at the funeral home,' Polkinghorne said.

While watching this point in the video, Polkinghorne appeared to get emotional and held his head in his hand, wiping his face with a tissue.

The remainder of the video will be played on Thursday.

Earlier on Wednesday, it was revealed to the court that police travelled down to a Mt Cook resort to conduct a search warrant to seize the phones of a Sydney escort the Crown says Polkinghorne was in a secret relationship with.

The trial, which is expected to last for at least 6 weeks, before Justice Graham Lang and a jury continues.