Philip Polkinghorne trial: Sex video of Polkinghorne and escort Madison Ashton found on laptop

Thursday, 22 August 2024

In Philip Polkinghorne's trial for his wife Pauline Hanna's murder, unsettling details emerge. Witnesses describe a troubled relationship, while Polkinghorne's drug use and sex life come under scrutiny. Stuff's Catrin Owen reports for ThreeNews.

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

Sex tapes, marriage advice and conversations with escorts were extracted from the devices of Philip Polkinghorne and Pauline Hanna by police and presented to the jury on Thursday.

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, 2021.

The trial is under way at the High Court in Auckland, where on Thursday the focus turned to Hanna and Polkinghorne’s communications.

The Crown’s case is that Polkinghorne fatally strangled Hanna before reporting her death to police as a suicide. It argues he was living a double life, obsessed with meth and in a covert relationship with an escort in Sydney.

Polkinghorne’s defence is that Hanna was exhausted by work-related stress, had a history of mental health issues, was on medication, and tragically took her own life. Ahead of the trial, he pleaded guilty to methamphetamine charges.

On Thursday afternoon, Constable Madeleine Palmer took the jury through her 1200 page report after she seized Polkinghorne’s laptop and analysed it and Hanna’s.

Late in the night before Hanna’s death, the pair exchanged emails drafting Polkinghorne’s resignation letter.

Madison Ashton: sex video, confidentiality agreement and furniture delivery

The analysis of Polkinghorne’s laptop showed up to two days before Hanna’s death, he was communicating with Sydney-based escort Madison Ashton.

He received an email from Ashton regarding the delivery of furniture in Sydney. The following day he viewed a video of her.

In the years leading up to his wife’s death, eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne transferred nearly $300k to six different woman - three of which were sex workers, including high-profile Sydney escort Madison Ashton.

That’s not all that was found on his laptop regarding Ashton.

In 2018, Palmer said there was a completed loan agreement between Polkinghorne and Ashton for $90k for a six month period. In November 2018 there was a confidentiality agreement found between Polkinghorne and Ashton naming him as an informal business associate in regards to Metropolitan Investment Group Ltd.

In February 2019, Polkinghorne accessed a number of photos of Christine McQueen. Palmer said McQueen is Ashton's alias.

Polkinghorne also sent Ashton an email detailing how Hanna had been removed as a shareholder at Auckland Eye.

In February 2021, Ashton emails him in regards to a home loan application with the initial approval forwarded with the text 'FYI' by Ashton.

Palmer said she found 12 different videos of Ashton in various stages of undress and one showed Polkinghorne and her engaging in sexual activity.

Letters between Polkinghorne and Hanna

In early January 2020, a letter was found on Hanna’s laptop from Polkinghorne.

“I have felt increasingly devoid in the last few months from our relationship. I feel, rightly or wrongly that I am a spectator rather than a participant,' the letter states.

Polkinghorne says he feels increasingly ignored in the relationship.

Pauline Hanna and Philip Polkinghorne and the Remuera home they shared.

'In recent months I have acted increasingly to protect myself, I have as you may have noted. I have developed strategies to lessen my anxiety…'

For years, Polkinghorne said, he had been asked what he wanted for Christmas and his reply was for his wife not to ask to borrow money. He went on to say she’s not paid rates, water bills, insurance at their Remuera home or Coromandel home.

'Yes, your contempt of money does annoy me, even stating your flights are free beggar's belief knowing it is the use of my 'airmiles; that is paying for those flights, dare I say denying me a discounted flight.'

He goes on to say Hanna is not going to change.

'I know by now the cycle of how we relate to each other, the verbal gymnastics, the overstepping of boundaries, the barbs and then the declaration of love, only to reboot the same pathway a week or month later. My options it seems are dead simple; either accept my lot or move on, apart.'

The letter states that Polkinghorne has enrolled in 3-day course called 'Moving on Or Moving Up'.

He finishes: 'I don't know where the bucketload of love went, but there you have it.'

Scared and confused

It appears Hanna replied to the letter with one of her own which was also found on her laptop.

It’s addressed to “My Darling Philip”.

She starts with how she hopes the pair have an exciting time ahead together in the next 30 years, but the email takes a turn.

'I have read this email and re read it so many times and the devastation I feel that I appear to have let you down so badly. I am gutted you feel you cannot talk to me…I don't know what to say and I don't know how it happened.'

In the year before her death, Pauline Hanna looked up “how to keep sane if my husband’s having an affair”.

Hanna says she knows the pair have had some “ugly times in the last 18 months” and has attempted to take on board what he asks of her.

'I don't wear my bodysuits other than to work, I strive to make you proud of my work effort/ethic, I attempt to pre-empt your difficult days by encouraging you when you are in theatre, doing the dinner when I know you are tired.“

The letter goes on to talk about finances.

“Money - is a big issue - you do take the lion’s share of the load - but this email from you…it reads as if I am a totally selfish person who contributes nothing financially - that is truly unfair.”

She detailed how she does the groceries, buys items for the house, gifts for him and the family.

“I am sorry - you are everything to me and you have changed. I haven’t, but clearly I have not read you signals.”

Hanna asked if Polkinghorne wanted to make a change (divorce), to make that decision before January 31 so she can make arrangements.

“I am 62 in February and I do not have a range of options…Right now I feel very scared, confused, sad and incredibly lonely.”

‘How to keep sane when husband is having an affair’

Later that year, on October 28, 2020, Hanna’s internet history showed she searched 'how to keep sane when your husband is having an affair'.

She subsequently visited a number of websites about infidelity, later that night she searched '4 simple surprising ways men express their love'.

The following month, in November 2020, she searches 'why do people trample over me'.

Further searches on Hanna’s laptop showed she contacted a private investigator in July 2020 saying she’d like to make an appointment about an investigation into infidelity, they exchanged emails but the private investigator previously told the court he never met Hanna.

Various containers of methamphetamine were found around Philip Polkinghorne's home in Remuera after his wife died.

Meth pipes, ‘avoid cocaine and meth’ and multiple emails with sex worker

Further analysis of Polkinghorne’s laptop showed there were screen grabs from a mobile phone showing a search of how to make a glass pipe for the consumption of methamphetamine. The photo was last accessed in February 2021.

Another document found on his laptop created in 2019 and titled “goal setting to 2040”.

In the document, Polkinghorne details his health and wellness goals including “avoid cocaine, marijuana, heroin, LSD, methamphetamine”.

He also outlined his goals for his work at Auckland Eye and how he planned to retire in the next 3 years and detailed how “we” had investments in a property and various shares.

Also found on his laptop were a number of emails and documents relating to a woman who lived on the North Shore, she has previously being identified as a sex worker Polkinghorne would regularly visit. The emails and documents related to a family trust account, body corporate minutes.

Images of Hanna were also found on his laptop dating back to 2010.

Addiction specialist on methamphetamine

Earlier on Thursday, addiction specialist psychiatrist Dr Emma Schwarcz gave evidence on Thursday in an expert and independent capacity.

The court has previously heard how 37g of meth was found in various containers dotted around the Remuera home after Hanna’s death.

Schwarcz detailed how users of methamphetamine will feel the effects quickly as it can be delivered to the lungs, blood stream and brain in a “quick and potent way”.

Schwarcz compared the dopamine released by the consumption of chocolate, which is about 100 units to cocaine, which is 300 units. But methamphetamine releases in the excess of 1200 units of dopamine and can effects can last up to 17 hours.

The rush and euphoria user's get from methamphetamine is the 'very thing that makes it highly addictive“, Schwarcz said.

She said most people who use methamphetamine are not violent. However, Schwarcz agreed it was fair to say there is an association between aggression and methamphetamine but it isn't an inevitable consequence.

The trial before Justice Graham Lang and a jury continues.