Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial

Sep 16 2024 85

Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial Podcast artwork

From the team behind The Front Page, the New Zealand Herald's daily news podcast, comes Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial. Paulina Hanna was found dead at the Remuera home she shared with her husband of 30 years, Philip Polkinghorne, on Easter Monday 2021. For 16 months, her death was treated as “unexplained”. That’s until it emerged Polkinghorne had been charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty in August 2022. Over the coming weeks, The Front Page host Chelsea Daniels will be reporting regularly from the Auckland High Court as Polkinghorne stands trial. Follow Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

Days 30 - 31: Final witnesses take the stand after seven weeks of testimony

Sep 16 2024 17 mins

After seven weeks and over 80 witnesses, we have finished hearing evidence in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne. The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021. He maintains she took her own life. In the final days of testimony, the debate over activity on Hanna’s phone continued, before the last two witnesse

Days 27 - 29: Email highlights Hanna's work stress as witnesses weigh in on her mental health

Sep 12 2024 64 mins

Originally due to run for six weeks, the trial of Philip Polkinghorne is now in its seventh week. The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021. He maintains she took her own life. More witnesses from the defence took the stand to discuss their thoughts on how Hanna died, and the risk factors that could have

Days 24 - 26: Witnesses reveal a different side of Polkinghorne as defence argues its case

Sep 04 2024 41 mins

Week six of the trial of Philip Polkinghorne continued with the defence’s case. The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021. He maintains she took her own life. Witnesses for the defence revealed a different side of Polkinghorne then what we’ve previously heard, with former colleagues and neighbours des

Days 22 and 23: Defence opens their case with Pauline Hanna's sister

Aug 30 2024 29 mins

After nearly five weeks of witnesses, The Crown has closed its case in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne. The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021. He maintains she took her own life. The Crown closed its case with more on Polkinghorne’s arrest, Police searches, and a last minute witness on cell phones.

Days 20 and 21: The final search history and unsent messages of Pauline Hanna

Aug 27 2024 26 mins

Week five in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne has kicked off with more on what was found on the couple’s tech, a hint that Pauline Hanna found a P pipe months before her death, and what exactly is a ‘girlfriend experience’? And two messages, drafted, on the morning of Pauline Hanna’s death, have also been revealed by the defence. You can listen to episodes of Accused: The

Days 18 and 19: Sex tapes, intimate letters and Google searches revealed

Aug 22 2024 40 mins

The end of the shortened fourth week in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne traverses a range of topics He’s accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, in April 2021 – but maintains, she took her own life. More on the couple’s finances, the dark sides of meth use, a sex tape, Google searches about infidelity, and a series of intimate letters between a husband and a wife were

Days 16 and 17: Drug tests at Auckland Eye before the couple's finances are examined

Aug 20 2024 21 mins

The trial of Philip Polkinghorne has, in theory, hit the halfway mark – with Justice Graham Lang telling the jury it’s “broadly on schedule”. Polkinghorne’s accused of strangling his wife, Pauline Hanna, at the couple’s Remuera home in April 2021 – before allegedly staging the scene to look like she’d taken her own life. His defence maintains she committed suicide

Days 14 and 15: Friends, colleagues share more about their concerns for Pauline

Aug 15 2024 19 mins

Questions around a certain dinner at a Havelock North restaurant, more on what prescription drugs Pauline Hanna was taking – and unravelling the issues at Auckland Eye. Friends and colleagues have weighed in at the end of the third week of Philip Polkinghorne’s trial. You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial through The Front Page podcast feed, or find it

Days 12 and 13: Pathologists detail Pauline's death, friends testify about their concerns

Aug 14 2024 30 mins

Warning: This episode contains disturbing material and some explicit language. How did Pauline Hanna die? That’s the question for the jury, who, for weeks will consider evidence and ultimately decide – was it murder, or suicide? It’s also a question put to two different pathologists, tasked with exploring how the 63-year-old died in her Remuera home in April 2021. Philip P

Days 10 and 11: Family and co-workers shed light on Pauline's view of her marriage

Aug 11 2024 18 mins

Day 10 saw the jury visit to the home of Pauline Hanna and Phllip Polkinghorne to see where Pauline had died. That was before a parade of ex-colleagues took to the stand to shed light on their relationship with Pauline, and what she told them about her concern for her marriage and her finances. Plus, an explanation as to why Pauline Hanna’s niece recorded a family conversation.