Philip Polkinghorne at his trial in the High Court in Auckland. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
- Pauline Hanna's husband, Philip Polkinghorne, has denied killing her in their Remuera home in April 2021
- Polkinghorne had earlier pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and a pipe
- The Crown's case is that a combination of financial problems, infidelity and drug use led to Polkinghorne killing his wife during a violent struggle at their home
- The defence argues Hanna committed suicide after struggling with depression for many years
A trial over the death of an Auckland woman allegedly killed by her husband has heard he switched between crying and emotionlessness as he spoke to a family friend after his wife's death.
It is the third week of the trial of Philip Polkinghorne, who is accused of murdering Pauline Hanna in April 2021 at their Remuera home, and then staging it as a suicide.
On Wednesday, a long time friend of Hanna Victoria (Pheasant) Riordan, told the court that Hanna told her more than a year before her death Polkinghorne had attempted to strangle her.
Both Victoria Riordan and her husband, John Riordan, said they had been concerned about Hanna's wellbeing and her relationship with Polkinghorne.
Hanna had stayed at the couple's home in the early 1990s when she studied at the University of Auckland, and also was a bridesmaid at their wedding.
John Riordan has returned to the witness stand on Thursday.
Under examination from Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock, Riordan said his wife text messaged Polkinghorne the day after Hanna's death, "thinking of you," after which they received a phone call from him.
Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
He recalled Polkinghorne said: "My darling wife, she's gone" and he started crying.
He said Polkinghorne talked for a few minutes with "the same level of emotion", but that the emotion ceased abruptly when he started talking about the police investigation.
"The second that he starts talking about the police, the crying has stopped, like there is no emotion in his voice whatsoever," he said.
"He said the police are going to charge me with murder, I didn't kill my wife… there were other words said and then he went back to talking about Pauline and the crying started immediately on talking about Pauline" he said.
When asked by McClintock what Riordan and his wife were doing as they listened to Polkinghorne, he said they looked at each other and he said: "it didn't feel real".
Riordan said the last time he saw Hanna was in February 2021, at the funeral of Hanna's mother.
She had talked about her two grandchildren, through her stepchildren with Philip.
"She was so excited about that whole process and being part of their lives growing up, she had a lot to live for," he said.
The trial continues.
