Philip Polkinghorne arrives at the Auckland High Court for the first day of his trial for the murder of his wife Pauline Hanna New Zealand Herald photograph by Michael Craig 29 July 2024 Photo: NZME/Michael Craig
- Pauline Hanna's husband, Philip Polkinghorne, denies killing her and staging her death as a suicide in 2021
- Polkinghorne earlier pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and a pipe
- The Crown argues a combination of financial problems, infidelity and drug use led to Polkinghorne murdering his wife
- The defence argues Hanna ended her life after struggling with depression for many years
There was contamination of a blood-like marking in the home of Philip Polkinghorne in the two years between tests, Crown prosecutors have suggested.
The defence is calling witnesses in the trial of former eye surgeon Polkinghorne, who is accused of murdering his wife Pauline Hanna in April 2021.
United States forensic scientist Dr Timothy Scanlan was tasked by a lawyer for Polkinghorne to conduct independent testing of his Remuera home in 2023, two years after police had conducted their own test.
Dr Scanlan said he found blood belonging to Polkinghorne on a red mark on the garage stairs.
In cross examination, crown prosecutor Brian Dickey asserted that Crown witness Fiona Matheson tested the general area and did not find blood.
But she did not test that exact red mark.
Dickey said the photographs of the blood - taken two years apart - were different.
"I'm talking about the appearance of a second parallel line, on the second photograph, taken by [Dr Scanlan]. That could have come from contamination of the scene, couldn't it?" Dickey questioned.
"Yes, it's a possibility," Dr Scanlan said.
Dickey said cleaning could not account for the change between photographs.
"If his blood is not in the left hand photograph, and yet it's in the right hand photograph, and the right hand shows us a different thing to the left hand, aren't we dealing here with rather obvious scene contamination?"
Investments were not a secret - manager
Meanwhile, Polkinghorne's investment manager said it did not appear that his investments were a secret.
The High Court in Auckland has previously heard evidence from financial analyst Margaret Skilton of two $250,000 payments made by Polkinghorne to JB Were Investments from the Hanna Polkinghorne Trust.
The total investment portfolio was said to be worth more than $2 million.
Tony Glucina - an investment manager with JB Were - said it was common enough to deal with just one person about a couple's investment portfolio.
"I dealt primarily with Philip because the investments were in his name," Glucina said.
Defence lawyer Ron Mansfield KC questioned him on whether the investments were a secret.
"From your dealings with Pauline, although she wasn't the point of contact for the investments, was it generally clear that she was aware that investments had been placed on their behalf with JB Were, albeit in Phillips name?" Mansfield asked.
"Yes, of course," Glucina said.
"And did it appear to you that there was ever any secret about the investment with your your company, your business?"
"No."
"Did Pauline ever contact you out of concern about not knowing what's going on or wanting to know more?"
Glucina said she had not, but he would not have been able to disclose any detail to her if she had, because the investments were in Polkinghorne's name.
He had dinner with the couple in the months before her death, and said she seemed stressed and did not eat.
Other than that, Glucina said there was nothing out of the ordinary.
"How did Philip treat Pauline?" Mansfield asked.
"Like a normal couple. Philip is quite a flamboyant, interesting person to talk to, always cracked in a few jokes," he said.
A dry sense of humour
Two staff members who worked under Polkinghorne also said he was generous and always put his patients first.
Leonie Mary Darlington, a theatre hostess, said Polkinghorne was very particular and a perfectionist.
"Quite a dry sense of humour, he always ready for a laugh," she said.
Ophthalmic nurse Jillian Blakely said Polkinghorne was supportive and happy to teach in her 27 years working with him.
Dominic Simon Foote, a long-time friend of Polkinghorne and Hanna, said he had a neighbouring bach to the couple and they had regularly had dinner.
"He's great. He's kind, generous, fantastic with my kids. A great neighbour," he said.
Foote said he had never seen Polkinghorne raise his voice.
"I don't think I ever saw Philip drunk but he did enjoy taking a comically large glass of wine around," he said.
Mansfield asked if he had ever seen Polkinghorne be controlling or demeaning to Hanna.
Foote said he had not.
Electricity usage supports Polkinghorne's story - defence expert
An electricity expert called by the defence said electricity usage supported Polkinghorne's story.
The defence argues he came downstairs on 4 April, the morning of her death, put on the toaster and kettle, and then found Hanna's body.
Earlier in the trial, the jury heard from Consumer NZ energy expert Dr Paul Smith, who ruled out the use of the kettle and toaster on the morning of 4 April, because the energy consumption did not increase high enough above the baseline.
Electrical engineer Jon Beatty said his reading of more than a year's worth of electricity data from the Remuera home supported Polkinghorne's story of rising early and turning on a few lights before appliances.
He said it was impossible to know exactly what was turned on.
Beatty said there was a flat load on 4 April until about 6am, which indicated lights had been turned on.
"At about 8am there was electrical load applied and it stayed on for a period of time."
He said that supported a kettle, and a toaster on a low setting.
Beatty said that there was high electricity usage on the night before, which supported the use of a dishwasher, washing machine and dryer.
He said he did not think it was possible for the washing machine to be used on the morning of 4 April.