Philip Polkinghorne gives evidence at Pauline Hanna coroner’s inquest in Auckland
Philip Polkinghorne testified at a coronial inquest into the death of his wife, Pauline Hanna, recounting his discovery of her body. The inquest follows his 2024 acquittal for murder, though the jury's verdict was accompanied by notes expressing uncertainty regarding the cause of death.
Why it matters
The case remains a high-profile legal matter in New Zealand, drawing significant public and media attention regarding the circumstances of Hanna's death.
Retired Auckland eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne, acquitted of murdering wife Pauline Hanna in 2021, recounted cradling his wife’s lifeless body in his arms as he testified for the first time today about the circumstances of her death.
“I was absolutely devastated, and I couldn’t think straight,” the widower said from the witness box at the ongoing coronial inquest into his wife’s death.
“I couldn’t get my phone to work. I mean, how pathetic was that? I was useless.”
He began to wipe at his eyes with a tissue, his voice quivering as he recounted the discovery.
“She was dead. She didn’t need a blanket. She didn’t need a pillow under her head. That’s what I did for her.”
Polkinghorne denied using methamphetamine the night before – or on the morning – his wife was found dead inside the foyer of their Remuera home.
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