Kyota. I'm Chelsea Daniels and from the team behind the front page the New Zealand Herald's daily news podcast, This Is Accused the Polkinghorn Trial. Over the next six weeks, in conjunction with our usual daily episodes, we'll 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 warning, this podcast contains disturbing content. The Crown has alleged extramarital affairs, dealings with sex workers
and a drug habit. The defense claims a suicide, casual drug use and an open and loving relationship. All the cards have been laid on the table in the first day of the trial of Philip Polkinghorn, accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hannah, whose body was found in the couple's remuware A home in April twenty twenty one. Polkinghorn started the trial today with guilty please to possession of
methanphetamine and a meth pipe. For the past two years the charges were not allowed to be reported, but suppression lapsed with the admission of guilt. The guilty please leave just one charge remaining for the six week trial murder.
Philip John Polkinhorn on charge one surcross list to Edwicklund's charges, but on about the fifth of August two thousand and twenty one at Auckland murdered Pauline Kay Hannah.
How do you plead guilty or not guilty? Not gaughty?
A jury was selected by eleven am before Crown Prosecutor Alicia McClintock outlined the Crown's case against Polkinghorn. She started by saying he led a double life.
He was spending large amounts of money on sex workers and engaging and a number of extramarital encounters and relationships. He had a problematic methamphetamine habit. He was spending marital finances in many ways that benefited only himself.
McClintock said. Over Easter weekend twenty twenty one, Pauline Hannah did a series of things that were normal for her. She trained with her personal trainer. She took dinner to some unwell friends. She went to the rubbish tap. She did some work at home, the home she shared with Philip Pulkinghorn.
Her work was something that was incredibly important to her. She took pride in her work Miss Hannah also took great pride in her appearance. She was immaculately turned out always no matter what she was doing. Miss Hannah's life that Easter weekend was very busy, and that's something she thrived. Overall, she was well, but one aspect of her life was troubling for Miss Hannah, and it had been troubling for her for quite some time. Her husband, the defendant, was both controlling.
And sexually demanded of here.
In unusual ways. At times, he had become aggressive towards her. He was having several extramarital encounters. She was concerned what he was doing with their finances. This aspect of her life was distressing for Miss Hannah. She considered leaving her husband. She spoke to her friends about her relationship to Clark. Ultimately, she was coping with this challenging aspect of her life. She loved her husband, even if she did not always love how he treated.
Her, but that's just the crown side of the story. Defense lawyer Ron Mansfield told the jury it would later hear evidence to suggest neither Polkinghorn or their relationship was perfect.
But you will hear evidence through the course of this trial that might make you think doctor Polkinghorn wasn't perfect, or perhaps their relationship wasn't perfect. I don't know what is perfect. I don't know the perfect person, and I don't know the perfect relationship. And I'm sure you're much the same.
The Crown allegeds Polkinghorn staged the scene to make it look like his wife's death was a suicide.
Brown allegens the evidence in this case will show the rope was too loosely tied to have sufficient tension to kill Miss Hannah, and simply too lot. As I've said its position where it's not halfway up the balustrade. If it had borne the weight of Miss Hannah, even though she was slight, it would have slipped down to the bottom of the balustrade. And as I've said that it's not where it was.
McLintock said the rope that was found did not have
enough tension. It was too loose and too long. The Crown alleges a struggle took place, given Hannah had injuries to her nose, scalp bruises on her arm, marks on the left side of her back, and Polkinghorn had a fresh cut on his forehead that he couldn't explain no marks were noticed on her face the night before, McClintock said, But defense lawyer Ron Mansfield says, after days of scientists collecting samples, no evidence has been revealed to suggest there
was a fight, an argument, or a staging.
This is a case where the Crown know that there is no pathology to support its theory of a homicide. The Crown knows that there is no evidence of an argument that evening. The Crown knows that there is no evidence of any methamphetamine use by doctor Polmingthorn that night. The Crown knows that there is no evidence of any arguing, disagreement or an assault, lead alone a fatal assault.
He said what Polkinghorn told police wasn't a lie. He simply answered questions asked of him. Police found thirty seven point seven grams of meth dotted all around the house in the master bedroom, bathrooms, and study. A meth pipe, meth and a lighter was found in the main bedroom where Polkinghorn slept. Hannah slept in another bedroom the night before her death. Hannah appears to have also been grappling
with the former eye doctor's meth habit. The CROWND says Hannah had searched privately on the Internet prior to her death, what sensation does p give you? She searched what does a pea pipe look like? And pea pipe. These searches were just three months before her death. The searchers suggest an ignorance about drug use. McClintock said a meth pipe was also found at auckland I in twenty twenty in an exam room that Polkinghorn used. The Crown says it's the same type as the one found at his home.
Mansfield said there's no evidence to suggest Polkinghorn was under the influence that night.
There will be evidence of casual use of the drug, a drug which is used by many within our community, despite our views on it, without risk of argument, violence or homicide.
The Crown alleged details of the couple's sex life, including Polkinghorn's relationship with Sydney's sex worker Madison Ashton.
Miss Hannah did know that her husband saw Miss Ashton. She told friends about it in a way she was reluctantly accepting of the fact that he had sex with Miss Ashton when he was in Australia. Indeed, there were times years prior when Miss Hannah joined doctor Polkinghorn and Miss Ashton in threesomes in Australia.
McClintock said Hannah admitted to friends she joined the pair in a threesome reluctantly in Australia, but would become concerned with her husband's obsession with group sex. Polkinghorn also apparently was seeing sex workers in Auckland as well. He was apparently transferring large amounts of money to sex workers and Miss Ashton.
He had taken this one relationship, though that was Miss Ashton, to a personal level of a partner. He appears to have been planning a future with and certainly was financially supportive, but he hadn't told his wife that this was quite the tangled web of life the doctor was weaving.
The Crown suggests had apparently deleted WhatsApp messages with Ashton after Hannah's death and asked her to do the same. The court we'll hear from a range of witnesses over the course of the next six weeks, including sex worker Madison Ashton. Defense lawyer Ron Mansfield says the couple's relationship was good and positive.
She was open with her friends and colleagues regarding their lifestyle and certainly in relation to family, despite incuring the judgment of some of them in relation to it. It's easy, I suggest, to attribute blame to doctor Polkinghorn for the relationships outside of their marriage that he had or they had. But understand in the nature of this relationship and it's open nature in relation to sexual relationships is important to understand and accept without judgment.
Philip Polkinghorn called one one one on the morning of his wife's death, and that's been played to the jury. We'll play that call for you.
Now you pay one telephone from.
Organizing help for you.
Now, she's cold, want to up alone?
What's your name?
Immediately put the I mean she's creating. Okay, No, she's not. Cut her down, you can't. We all get up here. She's she's on the boats did okay?
So so tell her why you believe that she p So why do you believe that she did go.
Un put a punk on the botom and that she's blue? She's cold? Okay?
And how old is she?
Please?
Okay? Fer mashine awake? No, no, okay, you're a doctor as well as I do. There I can feel for a moment. H h h oh okay, that's updated. Spear with me for a moment and need any help all right now?
Can hello alone, can go to.
Everything and we've build it. No need anything else that we can do for you.
Well the way we'll be there quickly, not right, they.
Crown witnesses has begun to be called and will continue over the course of the next few weeks. The defense will then invite its witnesses to give evidence. Prosecutors said at the beginning of the day, this case is like something of a crime novel. The trial continues tomorrow. You can listen to episodes of Accused the Bulkinghorn Trial through the front Page podcast fast 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 Ensidherld dot co dot Nz.