Philip Polkinghorne trial: Court hears recording of Pauline Hanna

Thursday, 8 August 2024

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

In the last two years of her life, Pauline Hanna confided in her family and a colleague about the problems she was having with her husband, who is now standing trial for her murder. But she repeatedly told them she loved him.

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.

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.

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.

On Thursday, the court heard from Hanna’s brother Bruce. He detailed how the siblings, including their younger sister had grown up just outside of Hastings and had a good family life.

'I always had a very good relationship with Pauline. We’ve lived different lives but we always kept in contact. We’ve always caught up and seen each other.'

For a couple of years before Hanna's death, their mother had failing health and Bruce and Pauline looked after her.

'She used to come down to Hawke's Bay once a month to see her and catch up with the family. See her quite constantly. We use to message regularly and she used to phone me quite often going to work on the motorway.'

Recording of Pauline Hanna played to jury

It was during one of those visits, Bruce’s daughter recorded a conversation they were having in November 2019. That recording was played to the jury on Thursday - the first time they’ve heard Hanna’s own words.

“So he goes off and screws women when he’s away and I take a very foul view of that and he hurts me and I know he loves me.

“I know he’s such a sex fiend and he videos it and I’ve got the videos…he’s really hurt me to the extent I’ve thought why am I living with him.”

Hanna’s niece expressed concern about her aunt living with Polkinghorne.

Pauline says Polkinghorne doesn't handle stress and is somebody who gets 'very very wound up'.

'I considered chucking myself off the bridge,' Hanna said.

Bruce said he didn't want that.

'I don’t either. But I love my husband. But he is somebody who is very angry with the world,' Hanna said.

Hanna repeatedly says she loves her husband, but she questions whether she can remain with him.

“He does deserve me…I love him…I’m his brick and he is mine.”

'I am not going to put up with it until I’m 93. I’m not a doormat,' Hanna says.

Hanna explains Polkinghorne is under a lot of stress at Auckland Eye, but has never been violent with her.

“Please don’t think Philip is a beast, he’s not.”

“She was just on edge”

Bruce told prosecutor Brian Dickey, in the 12-18 months prior to his sister’s death he didn’t think Hanna was very relaxed when she was with her husband.

“I think she was just on edge really. Philip seemed quite detached, had other things on his mind, physically had lost a lot of weight and was looking very pale,” Bruce said.

On Hanna’s visits down to the Hawke’s Bay she would tell her brother of her unhappiness.

'Philip had other women on the side she told us about. She wasn’t happy with it at all. Had other women in Sydney, visited prostitutes in Auckland.'

Hanna also told her brother she partook in group sex.

'I think she was going along with it, but this wasn’t the sister I know,' Bruce said.

Bruce was driving on the morning of Easter Monday when he found out his sister had died.

Polkinghorne phoned him at 8.30, Bruce said.

'I pulled over and he told me… he said: 'I’ve got some terrible news. It's Pauline. She’s dead. She’s hanged herself',' Bruce recalled.

'I was obviously very upset,' Bruce said.

He recalled speaking to his sister the Thursday before.

'She phoned me, she was driving home…we had a good conversation. She was in high spirits. She was opening a vaccine clinic the following Wednesday for Maori and Pacifica. And after cutting the ribbon the Thursday/Friday she was going down to Central Otago for a 10 day holiday with a group of friends,' Bruce said.

Despite the challenges at work, Hanna was “very proud of herself and her team”, Bruce said.

The pair had buried their mother 6 weeks before, and while Hanna was sad and upset, she got through it, he said.

“She seemed fine to me. She did say to me some years ago she was on chill pills…I didn’t really question it much.”

Under cross-examination by Polkinghorne’s lawyer, Bruce agreed his sister had never told him Polkinghorne had been violent with her.

Pauline Hanna’s mental health

Mansfield detailed how there’d be evidence later in the trial of Hanna’s attempt to kill herself in 1992, shortly after her father’s death and had suicidal thoughts in late 2019 and was referred to a crisis team.

Bruce said he wasn’t aware of either instance.

Mansfield spent some time going through Hanna’s medical records and her various prescriptions for antidepressants, appetite suppressants and a prescription to discourage alcohol consumption.

Bruce again said he wasn’t aware of any of this.

The will

Bruce Hanna was also asked about Pauline Hanna’s will.

'Philip phoned me the day after she died and asked if she had a will. There has not been a will produced, I do not believe she died without a will,' Bruce told Mansfield.

Mansfield asked Bruce when he found out Pauline had died, if he appreciated her assets would go to Polkinghorne as her surviving spouse.

'It was the second day after she died, I was very upset, the will was the last thing on my mind. I wouldn’t have thought about it if Philip hadn’t phoned me and asked if I had a copy,' Bruce said.

Mansfield asked if Bruce had been advised if someone was found to be Pauline's killer they'd be dis-entitled to an interest in their estate.

Bruce said he'd not said that to anyone.

He accepted in the recording previously played to the court there was some discussion about what Pauline might be entitled to if she separated from Polkinghorne.

Under re-examination, Dickey asked what Bruce would say if his evidence was suggested to be motivated by trying to get money out of her estate.

'Ridiculous really. I’m not quite sure where that’s going.“

The email

Mansfield spent some time questioning Bruce about his sister’s work and the stress she’d experienced. He produced an email Hanna had sent to Bruce in May 2020 in which she discusses stresses at work.

At that point Aotearoa was in the middle of the global Covid-19 pandemic and Hanna was heading up logistics for Counties Manukau DHB’s vaccination response.

The forwarded email details how she hadn’t had a full day off in eight weeks and how they’d been challenging but interesting.

Hanna said in the email she's been 'personally criticised and bullied' and was warning her family she might find herself in the media as inquiries had been launched.

Mansfield asked if Bruce was aware of a multi-million dollar Government contract in which the wrong product had been sent from China and an investigation was launched. Hanna said he was aware of something along those lines.

Pauline Hanna “driven”and thrived at work

Donna Marie Baker was the former general manager of communications at Counties Manukau District Health Board.

She told Dickey, she and Hanna were on the same management team and worked together for three years.

There was a group of women at Middlemore Hospital who would go out to dinner and socialise nicknamed 'The Housewives of Middlemore', Baker said.

Baker said Hanna was larger than life.

'You’d think she was the Chief Executive when she walked in a room…she was driven, had incredibly high standards and she expected us to have those standards as well.'

Baker recalled a time she’d caught up with Hanna in early March 2020 for a drink.

The conversation turned to the Christmas of 2019 and how Polkinghorne hadn't turned up for a few days.

'She'd expected him to be there…was in a position she was lying to family and friends that he'd gone to a conference in America.'

Baker said her friend was unhappy and uncomfortable about that.

Hanna then asked Baker about what it was like to be a single woman of a certain age and she'd considered it.

'She wasn’t happy in her marriage and hadn’t been for a long time…'

Hanna told Baker about how she'd taken part in threesomes and wasn't very happy about it, but she felt she was able to say no now.

'That was an incredibly vulnerable conversation. I’d never had a conversation with Pauline like that before,' Baker said.

After this conversation the pandemic hit, and Baker said Hanna thrived working long hours and never left anything undone.

Under cross-examination, Mansfield showed communication between the pair after the drink where Hanna said she felt 'a little embarrassed' about the conversation.

“It surprised me…but I felt the fact Pauline shared it with me and believed she could trust me and I wouldn’t judge,” Baker said.

The trial, which is expected to last for at least 6 weeks, before Justice Graham Lang and a jury continues. On Friday, the jury will be taken to the Remuera home for a site visit.