Philip Polkinghorne has denied murdering his wife Pauline Hanna in their Remuera home in 2021. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
Warning this story discusses suicide and mental health.
The mental health and wellbeing of an Auckland woman was the focus of the cross-examination of her brother and a colleague in the Auckland High Court on Thursday.
Philip Polkinghorne has denied murdering Pauline Hanna in their Remuera home in April 2021.
The Crown argued that infidelity, financial issues and meth-use led to her killing, But the defence said Hanna committed suicide and had long struggled with depression.
Defence lawyer Ron Mansfield KC questioned Hanna's brother, Bruce Hanna, how much he knew of his sister's history of depression.
Mansfield brought up medical records of Hanna's visit to a Remuera clinic in 2004.
"It was recorded that she has severe depression, lots of relationship strife with Philip's children, and she was referred for specialist treatment, were you aware of that?"
He asked whether Bruce Hanna knew about his sister having suicidal thoughts in December 2019.
"There's a telephone consultation in which Mrs Polkinghorne was upset and cried, reported her mother was in hospital and her husband had left her, and suicidal thoughts but no plans, and that's when she was referred to the crisis team, were you aware of that?".
Bruce Hanna said he wasn't aware of either incident.
Mansfield forshadowed that the jury would be hearing about Pauline Hanna's attempted suicide in 1992, a couple of years after her father's death. Bruce Hanna said he didn't know about that either.
Crown prosecutor Brian Dickey asked Bruce Hanna whether he'd expect to hear from his sister if something of that nature happened. "I think she would've mentioned it, she would've reached out to me for sure, we've always had a close relationship," Bruce answered.
The trial heard earlier this week that blood and urine samples from the deceased contained Zopiclone, a sleeping drug, fluxotine, an anti-depressant, and phentermine, a diet drug, alongside alcohol.
Under cross-examination, Bruce Hanna said he did not know about the medication his sister was taking, but had only heard her talk about taking "chill pills".
Mansfield also suggested Hanna's job as a health manager at the former Counties Manukau District Health Board had caused stress.
He read an email Hanna sent to family members in May 2020, about being bullied at work by a clinician during her secondment to HealthSource.
Bruce Hanna said he knew about the long hours his sister spent at work, but said she was excited about the opening of a vaccine clinic at the time of her death.
Pauline Hanna's colleague and friend Donna Baker was the last to give evidence on Thursday, telling the jury Hanna was driven and intelligent.
"Her bearing was always so straight, she was always able to have a conversation with you, when she walked into the room, you would think she was the chief executive," she said.
Baker said Hanna confided in her in early 2020 about being unhappy in her marriage.
"She said to me she wasn't happy in her marriage and hadn't been for a long time, she told me she had engaged, at the insistence or encouragement of Philip, to take part in threesomes, and she wasn't very happy about that," she said.
Baker said Hanna was curious about the single life.
"She asked me what it was like to be a single woman of a certain age, whether it was hard, and she said to me that she had considered what it would be like - but wondered what it would be like to not have things like the beach house," she said.
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
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Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
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If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
