The jury entering the property from a side entrance. Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel
Content warning: This story mentions suicide.
The jury in the murder trial of a retired Auckland eye surgeon has visited the multimillion-dollar house where Pauline Hanna was found dead.
It's the 10th day of the trial of Philip Polkinghorne, accused of murdering his wife on Easter Monday 2021 and staging her death as a suicide.
The defence denies this, saying Polkinghorne found her body that morning after the couple slept in separate bedrooms of their Remuera home.
The defence says Polkinghorne woke that morning in the master bedroom, came downstairs to the kitchen to make tea and toast, before coming through into the entranceway where he found his wife's body, slouched on a chair, hanging from a balustrade on the staircase leading to the guest bedroom.
The jury walked through the two-storey house, directed by Sergeant Christian Iogha, who testified last week. There were strict instructions that no questions be asked, and no oral evidence be given. Court security and the registrar joined them.
The jury entered through the entranceway where Hanna's body was found, before turning left to go upstairs to the guest bedroom and ensuite, and then progressing through to the master bedroom on the right side of the house.
They would then turn downstairs, following the route defence says Polkinghorne took on Easter Monday morning into the kitchen and dining area, which was dressed with a vase of yellow roses on the table.
In a last-minute request, the jury also viewed the laundry of the house, where damp sheets were found in the dryer during scene examination.
The group did not tour the garden, which was obscured by thick, well-trimmed hedges.
The visit lasted about half an hour.
After the jury exited the house, a second group walked through the property, made up of Crown prosecutors Alysha McClintock, Brian Dickey and Pip McNabb, Defence counsel Rob Mansfield KC and his junior, Harrison Smith, and Judge Justice Graham Lang and his assistant.
Media were not allowed inside the house, but were given permission to cover the visit from the public street.
The trial resumes at 1pm, with Pauline Hanna's niece expected to give evidence Friday afternoon.
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