WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT
“Like one thing out of against the law novel.”
That’s how prosecutors have described their case in opposition to Dr Philip Polkinghorne, a distinguished Auckland eye surgeon who’s now on trial for the alleged homicide of spouse Pauline Hanna inside their swank Remuera dwelling following what has been described as a “double life” of heavy methamphetamine use, home violence, giant quantities of cash squandered on intercourse staff and, in the end, a “staged suicide”.
The unusually high-profile case started at this time in a packed Excessive Courtroom at Auckland courtroom with jury choice and the Crown opening handle, which is ongoing.
Polkinghorne, 71, has reiterated his not responsible plea to the homicide cost. Nonetheless, he started the day by pleading responsible to 2 minor costs involving possession of methamphetamine and the possession of a meth pipe. For the previous two years, the costs weren’t allowed to be reported, however suppression lapsed with the request for forgiveness.
Hanna, 63, was discovered dishevelled, injured and coated by a quilt when emergency responders arrived on the couple’s dwelling on the morning of April 5, 2021, which was Easter Monday.
“She’s hung herself,” Polkinghorne had advised the 111 operator.
However virtually instantly, police had suspicions, Crown Solicitor Alysha McClintock advised jurors on the outset of her opening handle, which is anticipated to final about two hours. She is joined at trial by fellow prosecutor Pip McNabb and former Crown Solicitor turned barrister Brian Dickey.
Investigators additionally took situation with the way in which Polkinghorne described his marriage to them: both “fairly good” or “good”.
“The wedding was removed from good. It was removed from good,” McClintock stated, explaining that Hanna had thought of leaving the defendant within the year-and-a-half main as much as her dying. “It wasn’t even plain outdated ‘good’.”
Roughly a yr earlier than she died, Hanna revealed a disturbing glimpse into the troubled marriage whereas visiting mates in Hawke’s Bay, prosecutors stated.
“She advised them that Dr Polkinghorne had tried to strangle her along with his arms and stated one thing to the impact of he might do it once more at any time,” McClintock stated, explaining that one other witness is anticipated to recount how Hanna stated her husband “had been beastly in the direction of her”.
Regardless of considerations about her marriage, there is no such thing as a indication that Hanna was suicidal, McClintock stated.
“In the end, she was dealing with this difficult facet of her life,” she advised jurors.
There was bodily proof as properly that made investigators suspicious, she stated, together with the orange rope tied to an upstairs bannister that the defendant described discovering his spouse hanging from. However the rope, McClintock stated, was “too free and too lengthy” to have triggered a dying.
Hanna initially had a sample on the aspect of her neck matching the weave of a belt that was discovered on the scene, nevertheless it disappeared by the point a pathologist examined her the following day. That wouldn’t have been the case had it been the reason for her dying, the Crown stated, suggesting that’s extra proof the suicide scene was staged.
Authorities discovered what regarded like a contemporary lower to her face – one which hadn’t been seen by witnesses the night time earlier than – and an harm to Polkinghorne’s brow that he had no rationalization for, McClintock stated.
In addition they discovered over 37g of meth scattered all through the house – described by prosecutors as a “vital quantity”. Publish-mortem exams confirmed that Hanna had not one of the drug in her system on the time of dying.
“Dr Polkinghorne was main a double life,” McClintock stated. “The points of his double life had been getting tougher and tougher to maintain from his spouse.”
Prosecutors stated they imagine all of it got here to a head between the couple both the night time earlier than or the morning that Polkinghorne referred to as 111.
“He strangled her – both along with his arms, a forearm or one thing mushy and easy round her neck,” McClintock stated, suggesting that his aggression may need been spurred partly by meth use. “He then staged the scene to make it appear like his spouse’s dying was a suicide. Which may sound surprising or like one thing from against the law novel.”
within the homicide trial of distinguished eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne. Picture / Michael Craig
However it’s the one rationalization that is sensible, McClintock instructed, given all of the proof ruling out a suicide.
“Ms Hanna was murdered by the one different one who was in the home together with her,” she stated.
Prosecutors briefly displayed a photograph of Hanna, described as somebody who was all the time meticulously dressed. She had labored in varied roles within the public well being system and had been wanting ahead to serving to handle the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine, authorities stated.
Polkinghorne is represented in court docket by defence attorneys Ron Mansfield KC, Hannah Stuart and Harrison Smith. Sporting a blue go well with with polka-dotted tie and socks, he leaned again in his chair because the Crown opening handle was delivered. Not like most Excessive Courtroom trials, he has been allowed to sit down at a desk instantly behind his attorneys slightly than within the courtroom dock.
Mansfield is anticipated to present a gap assertion later this afternoon. Nonetheless, defence opening statements on the outset of trials are typically shorter and fewer detailed by design.
The trial continues earlier than Justice Graham Lang and the jury.
MORE TO COME.
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist overlaying courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms within the US and New Zealand.
The Herald might be overlaying the case in a day by day podcast, Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial. You possibly can comply with the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, by The Entrance Web page feed, or wherever you get your podcasts.
