A retired eye surgeon is facing charges for the murder of his wife, whose death in 2021 was initially believed to be a suicide.
Philip John Polkinghorne, 71, has been charged with the murder of his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead in the couple’s Remuera home in April 2021. The charge came 16 months after her death, and Polkinghorne has pleaded not guilty to murder.
At the Auckland High Court on Monday, Polkinghorne admitted to two previously suppressed charges: possession of methamphetamine and possession of a pipe, which were discovered at the time of Hanna’s death.
The Crown alleges that Polkinghorne staged his wife’s death to appear as a suicide after he murdered her. Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock argued that Polkinghorne had been leading a double life, with a deteriorating marriage, a secret methamphetamine habit, and spending large sums of money on sex workers. McClintock suggested that the relationship, once close, had fallen apart, and Polkinghorne’s demands on his wife, particularly regarding their sex life, were increasingly unusual and demanding.
The Crown further claims that Polkinghorne strangled his wife—either with his hands, a forearm, or another object—potentially under the influence of methamphetamine. After her death, he allegedly staged the scene to make it appear as though Hanna had taken her own life.
The defense, however, disputes these claims. Polkinghorne’s lawyer, Ron Mansfield KC, asserted that Hanna had struggled with mental health issues and had previously attempted suicide. He maintained that her death was self-inflicted and that there was no evidence to support a homicide. According to Mansfield, Polkinghorne and Hanna had a “perfectly happy” relationship, with no arguments or violence, and their sex life, including encounters outside the marriage, was consensual and open to both partners.
Mansfield also described Polkinghorne’s methamphetamine use as “casual,” arguing that while some aspects of his lifestyle might not appeal to others, Hanna was accepting of it.
The trial is ongoing, and further evidence, including testimony from a sex worker involved with Polkinghorne, will be presented in the coming weeks.
