Day 2: First responders paint picture of the morning of Pauline Hanna's death

Published Jul 30, 2024, 7:01 AM

Warning: This podcast contains disturbing content.

The second day of the trial focused on those who first attended the scene where Pauline Hanna's body was found.

Was Philip Polkinghorne reasonably calm on the morning of his wife’s death or just composed and trying to help?

Was the injury on his forehead a scratch, graze, scrape, or cut?

How was Pauline Hanna’s body found - and what injuries did she have?

And why, by late morning, before a statement was even given, did Police deem the scene suspicious?

You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne 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, Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sills and sound engineer Paddy Fox.

Kiota. I'm Chelsea Daniels and from the team behind the front page the New Zealand Herald's daily news podcast, This Is Accused the polking Horn 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. Was Philip Polkinghorn reasonably calm on the morning of his wife's death or just composed and trying to help? Was the injury on his forehead a scratch, a graze, scrape or a cut? How is Pauline Hannah's body found and what injuries did she have? And why by late morning, before a statement was even given, did police deem the scene suspicious. Those who first attended the scene where Pauline Hannah's body was found have given evidence On day two of the trial of the former Auckland eye surgeon accused of murdering his wife. Polkinghorn maintains she took her own life. He told police she was on antidepressants, she was stressed about her work with the then COVID vaccination roll out she was involved in overseeing. She'd been planning a holiday, a four We'll drive trip in the South Island with friends. This morning's testimony painted a picture of how Polkinghorn says he found his wife's body on the morning of April fifth, twenty twenty one, Easter Monday, and the last time he says he saw his wife alive. In his first police statement, he detailed the night before, the pair had a drink or two in their upstairs library and she cooked dinner. Wineglass with lipstick on it was seen by an officer. They watched a few episodes of New Amsterdam on Netflix together before going to bed for the night around ten pm. Hannah had organized to go to the gym the next day around nine am. They'd been sleeping in separate rooms. He got up early about seven forty five to make breakfast, tea and toast. He used another stairwell to get to the kitchen, the closest to the master bedroom he was sleeping in the night before, and after that he went to go upstairs via another staircase, and that's when he finds his wife slumped leaning forward in a chair with a belt around her neck. Paramedics have told the court it was clear Pauline Hannah was dead. She was found in the entrance way of the home, covered with a douvet and a pillow under her head. Saint John paramedic Hannah Matheson was one of the first ambulance members at the Upland Road scene. She told Brian Dickie as she was asking him questions about the morning's events, he seemed calm.

Did he say anything about the patient, that he knew that she was dead?

And yeah, that she was his wife?

And how did he appear at this time when you were speaking with.

Him reasonably calm? Wasn't crying, didn't seem distressed, was answering our questions appropriately. Yeah, gave full name and date of birth. Said that the patient had depression, but was unaware of the names of any medications that the patient took.

He said the patient had depression.

That he.

Did he just say just that or did he say more than that to describe?

But I can only recall him saying that.

She heard Polkinghorn calling Hannah's workplace to tell them she wasn't going into work that day.

How was he when he was on the phone talking to her?

Work.

Did you notice anything about that?

I noticed that his demeanor change and he appeared more distressed and upset on the phone.

Okay, could you tell that that was the deceased workplace by what he was saying? Or how did you form the view he was talking to her work.

By saying that she couldn't come in today. I did assume that he was calling her workplace.

Defense lawyer Ron Mansfield said Matheson must have deal with all kinds of states of emotion in her line of work.

And I would have thought there's no ideal or standard presentation of somebody. Would that be right?

That is correct? Everyone responds differently.

Some people are broken down and can hardly speak, can hardly move as one extreme Yes, and then some people are composed trying to deal with the situation and try to ensure that they provide you with as much help as they can.

Yes.

When polking Horn was asked a question, he answered at Mansfield said, pointing out he had lost his composure during the call with his wife's workplace. Matheson mentioned spotting a graze or a scratch in the middle of Polkinghorn's forehead and said he seemed to be unaware it was there. Liam Larsen was an aut student at the time and a trainee paramedic. He too noticed the mark. Constable Andrew Roland also noticed a fresh injury on Polkinghorn's forehead and said it looked like a graze, like pretty.

Much right in the center's forehead.

How would you describe it.

Ah, It's probably about maybe no bigger than the size of a golf ball in terms of the diameter. And it was more like a graze than like as if you know, you'd bang your head on concrete or something. Didn't look like a deep cut or anything.

Polking Horn had told paramedics Hannah had a history of depression and she had a history of taking antidepressants, although he couldn't remember exactly which ones. Mansfield asked a Larson about the conversation he remembers being had with the defendant.

Did he also provide some information regarding her general health? Did he say she had been stressing about her work lately and was involved heavily involved in the COVID vaccination process.

I recall him saying something about the vaccination process and her work, but that's all I remember.

To be fear to you if you need to check your notes or your statement. We can, or I'll just read it to you. See if this freshes your memory. He mentioned that was which I mean to take as she was stressing about her work lately and was involved in COVID vaccination process.

Constable Roland was the one to take Polkinghorn's statement. He read it out to the jury.

Pauline has been on and off depressed for several years. She takes some antidepressant medication. I'm not sure what it's called. She has been taking it for several years. I'm not sure she still has been taking it recently. She has also suffered from bolimia about five years ago. She has been taking weight reduction medication. Also, Pauline has been exhausted in recent times. This has been mainly from working such long hours.

He's spent nearly forty minutes with him, during which Polkinghorn spoke to people on the phone and was getting messages through. Roland told the court when the defendants spoke to others on the phone telling them of his wife's death, he would become upset.

Yes, this was yeah, so this was during the time that I was taking the statement off him. I can recall like one specific phone call, I think it was from his brother, and he was getting a phone call. He looked at his phone and he said, oh, this is my brother, and then he answered the call and said something like Pauline's did or my wife's did, And then I could hear crying coming from the other side of the line.

How was he during this period?

How was he English? So? When I was talking to him, he seemed fine, But then when he spoke about his wife to other people that like to notify them of her death, he would get quite upset.

And what about him is answering of your questions or providing you with information.

He was, for the most part quite fine, particularly when I can recall asking him in detail how he discovered his wife on the morning, and from memory, he didn't seem to get to emotionally. He just was sort of straight.

To the point.

Roland detailed the moment when Polkinghorn's sun arrived at the scene that morning.

I think when his sun showed up, he I think they he gave him a hugin Philip Mister Polkinhord said that she was the love of his life, and he cried a bit there as well.

After Polkinghorn finished giving his statement, he read each page and he signed them. Constable Roland handed the document over to his sergeant, CHRISCA William.

Gave him all the papers and at that point Sergeant Chris had written on his hand the number one in the letter C and he showed it to me, which is basically police code for suspicious circumstances.

So by late morning, officers were treating the scene as suspicious. By that time there were questions about ligature marks around Hannah's neck diamond Marx resembling a belt that Polkinghorn admitted to. Moving to the kitchen, more paramedic and officers noticed the bright orange rope hanging from a handrail and another piece coiled on the steps below. Mansfield Cross examined Sergeant Chris Giwilliam, who told the court he had been advised before Polkinghorn had finished making his initial statement that the scene was being treated as suspicious. By the end of the day, the court heard evidence from Detective Constable Brooke Everson. She was in charge of Hannah's body. Her head was tilted to the side and there was obvious markings on her neck about three centimeters in width in a criss cross pattern. On the right side to the front of her neck. There was a cut on the left side of the bridge of her nose. It was fresh, it wasn't scabbed over, and there was blood coming out of her left to ear. There was some bruising on her inner thigh. On her left hand, there was blood between her fore and middle fingers. It didn't appear to be a cut, it was just blood. Those marks on her neck were noticed by others as well. Sergeant Gwilliam told the court ligature marks were noted on her neck.

He described the ligature marks as like diamond shapes, and then that clicked very quickly in your mind that that might match the belt which had been photographed and seen in the stairwell.

That there was two items theyrecreped.

And you then realized that that item should be secured.

Then I mentioned the item that there was two items. They are correct.

The belt was mentioned by Polkinghorn in his statement as being around his wife's neck. It had been noted as being on the stairs. Then Constable Danielle Gear remembered seeing it as well.

And I think at one stage after you had seen Dr Popenhorn coming up the stairs curling up the belt in front of him. You were asked by the sargent where the belt was that had been on the steps. Yes, and you were able to tell him because you had seen doctor Polkinghorn with the belt that you thought he had it.

Yep.

Then you made an inquiry of Dr Polkinhorn during the interview with Constable Rowlands and he told you that, yes, he put the belt in the kitchen.

Yes.

The trial continues tomorrow. 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 Seles and sound engineer Paddy fox And. For more coverage of the Polkinghorn Trial, head to Enzidhrold dot co dot nz