Warning - This story discusses suicide
Philip Polkinghorne is accused of killing his wife Pauline Hanna and staging her death as suicide. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
The conflicting views of two IT experts have been revisited in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne.
Police digital forensic analyst, Jun Lee, said he analysed activity on Pauline Hanna's iPhone 8 in the hours before her death.
Lee returned to the High Court in Auckland after earlier giving evidence as part of the prosecution's case.
On Tuesday, the court heard from the defence's own IT expert from Australia, Atakan Shahho.
Shahho claimed Hanna drafted iMessages to two people at around 4.00am on the morning she was found dead in her Remuera home.
He said one draft message was to her husband, Polkinghorne, and another was to the teenage daughter of a friend.
But Lee affirmed to Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock that Hanna's phone could not have been used to draft any text messages the morning she died.
"There was no trace of user interaction on the phone at all," he said.
He believed her phone was last used at 10.47pm on 4 April, 2021, the night before she died.
He said his analysis of the phone's background data showed it did an identity look-up service check at around 4.00am.
He said the automated process checked the phone for scammers by verifying if contacts in a phone were legitimate.
He said the security feature on Apple phones was automated and could happen when the phone was not in use.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Ron Mansfield KC questioned Lee's ability to analyse Apple devices, as he used to be employed by Samsung which uses an Android rather than an iOS operating system.
Lee argued this was not relevant.
After a lengthy back and forth, Justice Graham Lang decided Lee would return on Thursday for Mansfield KC to finish his cross-examination.
Mental health expert questioned on Pauline Hanna's suicide risk
A mental health expert, brought in by defence, defended his assessment that Pauline Hanna had several suicide risk factors.
During cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock questioned psychiatrist Dr Olav Neilssen on why he thought Hanna's habit of sending work emails at night was concerning.
McClintock said Hanna's colleagues were not concerned and Hanna had told them work was her happy place.
But Dr Neilssen argued insomnia was a "cardinal symptom of depression".
"It's all good and well to say that. But objectively, it doesn't look quite right.
"It's healthier for us all to get a good night's sleep, myself included."
He said Hanna's history of depression and recent passing of her mother also made suicide more likely.
He believed Hanna had behaved unusually in the days before her death, doing things she would not normally do, such as visiting the tip and cooking for her husband.
"Are you suggesting a trip to the tip is indicative of some kind of mental health deterioration?" McClintock said.
Dr Neilssen said people who had made a decision to end their life sometimes gave away their possessions.
McClintock clarified Hanna was getting rid of old curtains.
He conceded to McClintock that his assessment was largely reliant on Polkinghorne's account in his police statement.
At the end of the day, Justice Lang discharged a jury member due to a personal commitment.
The defence indicated it had a few witnesses left before closing its case.
The trial is expected to stretch into its eighth week next week, where the prosecution and defence will deliver their closing arguments.
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
What's Up: free counselling for 5 to 19 years old, online chat 11am-10.30pm 7days/week or free phone 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 11am-11pm Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
Healthline: 0800 611 116
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OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm)
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
