Kiota I Am, Chelsea Daniels and from the team behind the front page The New Zealand Herald's daily news podcast This Is Accused. The Polkinghorn trial. After a week's long trial in the High Court at Auckland, Philip Polkinghorn has been found not guilty of the murder of his wife, Pauline Hannah. Pauline Hannah died on Easter Monday twenty twenty one in the remuwaer, a home she shared with her husband,
Philip Polkinghorn for sixteen months. Her death was treated as unexplained before Polkinghorn was charged in August twenty twenty two. The Crown argued in court the Polkinghorn murdered her after years of growing tensions over their finances, his need for sex,
and his growing reliance on meth. On the other hand, the defence maintained Hannah killed herself after mounting stress from her work in the COVID vaccine rollout, on top of decades of depression and reliance on alcohol and weight loss medication. The court heard from colleagues, family friends, experts, police paramedics, all to come to one conclusion. Philip Pulkinghorn did not murder his wife. After two days deliberation, the jury made their decision earlier today. Members of the.
Jury, have you reached a unanos virdict best run on which all eleven of you agree yes on charge run for the charge of murder. Do you find the defenders collop John Polkinhorn guilty or not guilty?
Not guilty, and you're the members of the juri.
You reach the unanimosperb extends one on which all eleven of you agree on the same charge charge from the charge of manslaughter fie of defenders collops John Polpenhorn guilty or not guilty, not your prison and then all agreed him to the jury.
Thank you for more reaction on the verdict. We're joined now by ends at Herald Crime reporter Craig Captain.
The jury started deliberations on Thursday and they got about six hours in before they had a little bit early for the day. They had sent the judge a note at the end of the day, but I wasn't really addressed, and because one of the jury had a prior commitment, they didn't come back Friday, so not until today did they come back. After about ten hours of deliberations, they returned the verdict, but right as they started the day, they knocked on the door again and told the judge
had a note. The note noted that the majority of them believed that Pauline Hannah had not committed suicide, but they also said that some of the people in the jury believed that the Crown had not proved the case that doctor Polkinhorn had murdered. After receiving the note, the judge basically told the jury that the burden of proof is always on the crown and basically told them to
go back and continue deliberating. Well, the first thing I noticed when the verdict was read was doctor Polkinhorm's sister Ruth, who was the first person on the scene that day, pumped her fist, obviously glad that her brother was acquitted. The defendant himself was standing in the dock, which was already kind of unusual because he'd spent the past eight
weeks sitting at a desk behind his lawyers. He just looked down and closed his eyes and didn't look up the entire time he was in the dock, didn't look at the jurors, didn't look at the gallery. After a few moments, the judge said you're free to leave. And so he was escorted by one of his own lawyers to the gallery, where he sat next to his sister
and just stared ahead, looking pretty emotionless. Not too far down from where he and his sister were sitting in the front row of the gallery was the family of Pauline Hannah, her brother and her niece, who both testified get some of the most emotional testimony during the trial, and they just, I guess sholl shocked to be a good way to describe it. They looked pretty tired, pretty shocked.
Outside the courthouse, the first person who came to speak to the media was counselors Sir Alesha McClintock.
I transler, I say, when you speak that durus vidict. They work hard on this stefficult case and we respect the verdict that they've reached. Whether family what's to say, whether the police was to say they can ultimately be a meta for them. But I think what's important today is there's been a great trade to do. Pauling Henna died and we feel for the family, the loved ones and ones who love to But I absolutely speak to the during fludent and work hard to reach it.
After that we heard from Philip Pokinghon himself, who gave a very brief statement.
Today that comes a huge turning point in our lives. The process has taken a massive toll on on many of us. But now we can grieve Pauling missed in peace and that there's the best differ we can possibly give her.
And eventually we heard from Bruce Hannah, Pauline Hannah's brother.
Oh yeah, look, it's not the decision we wanted. I would like to think the place in the prosecution for the deep detection and hard work. I thought the core price proceedings was fear and we need to accept the decision and move on at this point that we are so it's thanks very much being approverally long ain't no way.
The judge ordered doctor Polkingholm to return to court on November first, at which point he will be sentenced for the drug charges that he pleaded guilty to at the start of the trial. Compared to murder, these are ravery minor charges. One carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail and the other one carries a maximum sentence
of six years. One of the questions that was asked of the Crown when they give a statement outside the courthouse was whether they would appeal, and Alisa McClintock pointed out that they can't appeal at jury's verdict. So this is all said and done now there is no retrial. So after sixteen months of investigation and another three years till this point, this is the end of the case for Pauline Hannah. The jury spoken Happen.
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 Sills and sound engineer Patty Fox. Additional reporting from The Heralds Craig Capatan, George Block, and Katie Harris. And for more coverage of the Polkinghorn trial, head to ends at herold dot co dot enz