Hilda. I'm Chelsea Daniels and from the team behind the front page the New Zealand Herald's daily news podcast, This is Accused The Pulkinghorn Trial. Over the next six weeks, in conjunction with our usual daily episodes, will be bringing you regular coverage as one of the most high profile trials of the year makes its way through the High Court at Auckland. A successful I surgeon, a celebrated DHB boss, an unexplained death in an affluent Auckland suburb over a
long weekend. Today marks the beginning of a trial that has been years in the making.
A post mortem is complete, but police are still investigating a sudden, unexplained death in Auckland's rama Weetder on Monday. Police are waiting for results from other inquiries and are still at the Upland Road address.
Pauline Hannah was found dead at the Remuerra home she shared with her husband of thirty years, Philip Polkinghorn, on Easter Monday twenty twenty one. The sixty three year old's body was found inside the four million dollar Upland Road property and for sixteen months her death was treated as unexplained. That's until it emerged, Polkinghorn had been charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty in August twenty twenty two. Here's
a report from me at that time. In twenty twenty two, Hannah, who worked at the county's Monico DHB and was involved in the COVID vaccine rollout, was found dead on April fifth last year. Her death has been described as unexplained until today's murder charge. Wearing jeans and a black leather jacket, he pleaded not guilty through lawyer Rachel Reid HC and will be released on bail. Polking Horn says he's shocked
he's been charged. He says he won't comment further, but hopes the justice process will run its course and the truth will be known. Polking Horn retired after his wife's death and has moved out of the house. Police spent eleven days searching the couple's home after Hannah's death on April fifth, twenty twenty one. In a statement released through his lawyer at the time of his arrest, polking Horn expressed his shock at being charged. He said, I am
shocked that the police have charged me. 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. Polking Horn, who for he worked as a doctor at auckland I retired following his wife's death. Hannah had worked in various roles in the public health system, including as an executive project director at County's Monaco DHB and aiding with the
COVID nineteen vaccine rollout. We're joined now by senior Herald reporter Carolyn Mgnee, who has also followed this case from the very beginning. First off, can you take us back to April twenty twenty one.
How did all of this start?
It was an intriguing story, and I think the reason why this case is of high interest public interest is because it involves Philip Polkinghorn, a very highly acclaimed and accomplished auckland Is surgeon, and his wife, Pauline Hannah, who was a half executive at County's Monocal for about twenty years, and she was also very, very highly involved in the
emergency response during COVID at that time. And I guess it also is a case that you know, has all the elements of a great mystery in a way, I mean, you know, wealth, wealth factor, the elite. I suppose also the fact that the death was unexplained so long as well, so long, I mean Pauline died on April the fifth, twenty twenty one. Philip Pockinghorn wasn't charged till seventeen months later and appeared in court. We've had to wait two years for this trial to start.
You and I are attending the trial which starts today. For the audience, we can kind of explain what happens from the outset. The audience might read here or see articles from a trial, but may not know the actual process of how we got to this point and what happens from here. So from today what happens.
We do know, and we've been told that the trial will take six weeks. We understand that there will be quite a number of witnesses I assume probably lots of family members attending on behalf of both sides. Ron Mansfield is heading up the defense side along with his assistants, and the Crown is Brian Dickey and Alisha McLintock.
And from today we kind of go through the process of finding that jury pool, and there's no clue as to how long that will take.
Well, no, and I think they will have to be very very meticulous about this because there has been a lot of publicity in the past. It will be very interesting to see how they vetoed or packed art to be honest, and given the nature of the case as well, we don't.
Know how long selecting a jury pool will take. After that we get to hear the Crown and the defense and their opening addresses and what kind of evidence or witnesses they'll be calling over the next however, many weeks.
Absolutely what will be interesting I think watching the jury being chosen I always find interesting, particularly in cases like this, high profile cases, the gender balance, age, even sometimes ethnicity. I find that sort of very interesting.
Thanks for joining us, Caro. So let's talk about the key players we'll see and hear from over the next month or so of this trial for the Crown. Crown Solicitor Brian Dickey is a barrister at bank Side Chambers. He led his first High Court trial at the age of twenty three, and his first murder trial in two thousand and three. He was appointed Crown Solicitor in twenty fifteen and spent several years with a focus on commercial litigation and white collar crime, including the run of finance
company cases following the global financial crisis. He's been at the front and center of some of the country's biggest murder trials. On the defense side, Ron Mansfield k C is a senior criminal lawyer with more than thirty years of experience. He was appointed to the senior rank of King's Council in twenty twenty one. He's defended client and serious criminal cases in some of New Zealand's highest profile trials, as well as those charged with criminal offenses. Mansfield also
has a strong social justice streak. He's represented high profile activists in cases involving social justice issues. So you might be wondering how does a trial work. Well, today, work will begin on impaneling a jury of twelve people. There is never an indication on how long this will actually take. It starts with the court registrar calling people's names out to be potential jurors, which a lawyer can then 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 a society on a final jury. The judge usually makes opening remarks at the beginning of a trial and explains the role of a jury, and they'll explain how the law works and help jurors understand the evidence that is presented in court. After a jury is chosen or impaneled, the prosecution will begin outlining their case
with an opening statement. It includes what the defendant is charged with and an explanation of the kinds of evidence they'll present to the court. This is where the public learns what the crown believes happened and how it intends to prove it. The defense may also make an opening statement. At this point. Witnesses will then be called to testify one by one, questioned first by the prosecution and then
by the defense. That's called a cross examination. After the prosecution's witnesses, the defense has then the chance to present its evidence. If they intend to call witnesses, they too will present an opening statement. When all the evidence is presented, the prosecution and defense will make their closing statements to the jury, and then the judge summarizes the case and describes how the law applies to it. The jury then goes out to deliberate. That could take hours or dace.
Regardless of how long it takes, we'll be bringing you regular episodes over the coming weeks with insight from those covering the trial. You can listen to episodes of Accused the Polkinghorn Trial through the front Page podcast feed or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. This series is presented and produced by me Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Siles and sound engineer Patti fox And. For more coverage of the Polkinghorn Trial, head to enzidherld dot co dot enz