Philip Polkinghorne murder trial live updates: Retired eye surgeon admits meth charges; faces trial over wife Pauline Hanna’s death

Murder accused Philip Polkinghorne in court on day one of his trial, July 29, 2024. Photo / Michael Craig

CONTENT WARNING: Some readers might find this story distressing.

A successful eye surgeon. A celebrated DHB boss. An “unexplained death” in an affluent Auckland suburb over a long weekend.

A trial that has been several years in the making has started today.

Paulina Hanna, 63, was found dead at the Remuera home she shared with her husband of 30 years, Philip Polkinghorne, on Easter Monday, 2021.

The Crown has opened its case against Polkinghorne, alleging he strangled his wife and staged her death as a suicide. But evidence showed Hanna was murdered, Crown solicitor Alysha McClintock said.

She said the couple’s marriage was “far from perfect” with the surgeon spending large amounts of money on sex workers and extra-marital affairs. He also had a meth habit.

Story continues after live blog.

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Phillip Polkinghorne (centre) arrives at Auckland High Court with his legal team, including Ron Mansfield, KC, left. Photo / Michael Craig

The trial started today with guilty pleas to possession of methamphetamine, which carries a maximum punishment of six months’ imprisonment, and possession of a methamphetamine pipe, which is punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment.

For the past two years, the charges were not allowed to be reported, but suppression lapsed with the admission of guilt. The guilty pleas leave just one charge remaining for the six-week trial: murder.

Polkinghorne arrived at court this morning flanked by his lawyer Ron Mansfield and the rest of his legal team wearing a navy suit and tie.

A jury of nine women and three men has now been empanelled to hear the case. Dozens of witnesses will be called including paramedics, police officers, work colleagues of Polkinghorne and friends and family of Hanna.

Arrest after 16 months

Hanna’s body was found inside the $4 million Upland Rd property and for 16 months her death was treated as “unexplained”.

That’s until it emerged Polkinghorne had been charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty in August, 2022.

Police spent 11 days searching the couple’s home after Hanna’s death on April 5, 2021.

In a statement released through his lawyer at the time of his arrest, Polkinghorne expressed his “shock” at being charged.

Phillip Polkinghorne will face trial over his wife's death. Photo / Michael Craig

“I have recorded that I am not guilty immediately. Now that the Police have charged me the matter is before the courts and I am not permitted to comment further,” he said.

“The justice process must now run its course and I trust the truth will be shown. I thank my family and friends for their enduring love and support.”

Polkinghorne, who formerly worked as a doctor at Auckland Eye, retired after his wife’s death.

Hanna had worked in various roles in the public health system, including as an executive project director at Counties Manukau District Health Board and aiding with the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

Pauline Hanna and Philip Polkinghorne at an event in December 2018. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

The Key Players

The Crown

Alysha McClintock, Crown Solicitor, opens for the prosecution. Photo / Michael Craig

Crown solicitor Alysha McClintock oversees the prosecution of serious crime in the Auckland region. She was appointed to the role at Meredith Connell in 2023.

McClintock has more than 20 years’ experience prosecuting for the Crown.

Brian Dickey will assist Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock in the Philip Polkinghorne trial. Photo / Michael Craig

She’ll be joined by Brian Dickey, now a barrister at Bankside Chambers. He led his first High Court trial at the age of 23 and his first murder trial in 2003.

He was appointed Crown solicitor in 2015 and spent several years focused on commercial litigation and white-collar crime, including the run of finance company cases after the Global Financial Crisis.

He has been front and centre of some of the country’s biggest murder trials.

The Defence

Defence counsel Ron Mansfield listens to the opening address of the prosecutor. Photo / Michael Craig

Ron Mansfield KC is a senior criminal lawyer with more than 30 years of experience. He was appointed to the senior rank of Kings Counsel (KC) in 2021.

He has defended clients in serious criminal cases in some of New Zealand’s highest-profile trials.

As well as those charged with criminal offences, Mansfield also has a strong social justice streak. He has represented high-profile activists in cases involving social justice issues.

How does a trial work?

There is never an indication of how long it will take to empanel 12 jury members.

It starts with the court registrar calling people’s names out to be potential jurors, whom a lawyer can “challenge”. They don’t have to explain why they “challenge” people, but it’s a tool that is used to ensure a good cross-section of society on the final jury.

Judges usually make opening remarks at the beginning of the trial and explain the role of the jury. They will explain the law and help jurors understand the evidence that is presented in court.

After a jury is chosen, or “impanelled”, the prosecution will begin outlining its case with an opening statement. It includes what the defendant is charged with and an explanation of the kinds of evidence it will present to the court.

This is where the public learns what the Crown believes happened, and how it intends to prove it. The defence may also make an opening statement.

Witnesses will be called to testify one by one – questioned by the prosecution first, then the defence in what is called a cross-examination.

After the prosecution’s witnesses, the defence has the chance to present its evidence. If it intends to call witnesses, the defence will present an opening statement.

When all the evidence is presented, the prosecution and defence will make closing statements to the jury. The judge then summarises the case and describes how the law applies to it.

The jury then goes out to “deliberate”. This could take hours or days.

The trial, which is being heard in the High Court at Auckland, is set down for six weeks.

The Herald will be covering the case in a daily podcast, Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial. You can listen to the podcast through The Front Page feed.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.

You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.