‘Justice done’: Why the trial of Philip Polkinghorne gripped the nation

Tuesday, 24 September 2024

Philip Polkinghorne leaves the High Court at Auckland after he's found not guilty of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna.

Everyone knew Pauline Hanna. She was larger than life and was loved by many.

Hanna was high Auckland society; glamorous with bouffant hair, dark eyes and a white smile. She had a top job as a health director with Counties Manukau DHB where she led Auckland's Covid-19 supply chain work.

Hanna wanted to do the best job she could to serve her community.

She was a happy person.

Philip Polkinghorne was found not guilty of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, in their Remuera home. He spoke outside court, reflecting on the toll the case has taken and the need to grieve and let Pauline rest in peace.

Until she wasn’t.

Yesterday Hanna’s husband, Dr Philip Polkinghorne, was found not guilty of her murder after an eight week trial which put every grim and intimate detail of their private lives on display.

Hanna’s texts, habits, spending, mental health, stomach contents and conversations; Polkinghorne’s affairs, sex fetishes, drug use, raked over in court.

The not guilty verdict, arrived at yesterday, was not a surprise, said media commentator Gavin Ellis.

It was a fairly straightforward matter. A woman had died and her wealthy eye doctor husband was accused of killing her. But it was the details which kept the public entertained, said Ellis. It was murder, meth, high society and sex workers.

“It’s the sex, drugs and rock and roll that give it its notoriety. It’ll be remembered for a while.”

The Crown alleged Polkinghorne fatally strangled Hanna in their Remuera home in April 2021 after a violent struggle, then staged her death as a suicide. It argued the eye doctor was obsessed with methamphetamine and in a secret relationship with an escort.

Pauline Hanna died in her Remuera, Auckland mansion in 2021.

Hanna, the prosecution said, got in the way.

The defence said Hanna had a history of mental health issues, was on medication and took her own life.

The trial spanned more than 80 witnesses.

The jury, which began deliberating last week, took 10 hours to make up their minds, yesterday asking the judge one key question which gave a unique insight into how they were leaning:

“Most of the people on the jury don’t think there is enough evidence to support that Pauline committed suicide, however some people on the jury do not think the Crown has supplied evidence that we can answer yes to the question 'has the Crown made you sure that Dr Polkinghorne caused the death of his wife, Ms Pauline Hanna, by intentionally strangling her'. Please can we have some direction.'

Justice Graham Lang told them the Crown had to prove Polkinghorne’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Probably guilty or not guilty wasn’t enough.

Four hours later, Polkinghorne walked out of the High Court at Auckland a free man - he’s required to return for sentencing for methamphetamine possession charges.

Pauline Hanna’s brother Bruce Hanna, and wife Shelley, son Jacob and daughter Rose with a picture of Pauline Hanna outside court after Philips Polkinghorne’s guilty verdict

The doctor’s only words as he left: “Today the outcome is a huge turning point in our lives. This process has taken a massive toll on so many of us. But now we can grieve and let Pauline rest in peace and that is the best gift that we can possibly give her.”

Bruce Hanna - Pauline’s brother - said he and his family was disappointed with the outcome but thanked the police and the prosecution for “their dedication and hard work”.

Gavin Ellis didn’t think it would be a case for the annals of legal folklore, like the murder of young British backpacker Grace Millane in 2018, the disappearances of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope in 1998 or the Crewe murders of the 1970s, all of which had sparked national speculation, gossip and theories.

And plenty of others, like the Bain or Lundy murders, were talked about in the terms of whodunnit or a miscarriage of justice.

In this case? “I don’t think we’ve seen a miscarriage of justice. I think we’ve seen justice done.”

Dr Philip Polkinghorne leaves the High Court at Auckland flanked by his sister and legal team

He’d read colourful and dramatic accounts of the case which drew on comments and descriptions from the authors which weren’t evidence, and pushed the boundaries of media coverage, he said.

The role of journalists in the courtroom was to be the public’s dispassionate eyes and ears.

“In a way the case had everything but it did lead to some pretty colourful coverage. It went beyond straight up and down.”

Massey University professor James Hollings, who teaches investigative journalism and is a true crime author, said the fact Polkinghorne didn’t get name suppression was a big factor in the public interest.

No suppression meant the public was allowed into every corner of the couple’s life and that pictures of Polkinghorne posing with sex workers could be published.

“It made it hugely more newsworthy.”

Besides the “gossip element”, Hollings suspected interest in the case would fade quickly, believing it hadn’t galvanised the public like other cases.

But if the case fades from memory, Pauline Hanna won’t.

After the verdict, Hanna's family emerged from court gripping a photo of their loved and lost one.

Brother Bruce said the verdict was 'not the decision we wanted' but that “we need to accept the decision and move on”.