Warning: This story mentions suicide.
The jury at the murder trial of an Auckland eye surgeon have heard evidence of how his wife could have died.
Philip Polkinghorne is accused of killing Pauline Hanna in 2021, and staging it as a suicide.
Defence lawyer Ron Mansfield KC has maintained that Hanna died by suicide after consistent stress from her work in the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out and a history of depression.
The defence this afternoon called evidence from Andrew MacGregor, who conducted a simulation of Hanna’s death at the couple’s Remuera property, to determine if she could have died in the position Polkinghorne told police he found her in.
Justice Graham Lang has prohibited the publication of details about this simulation due to risk to the public.
MacGregor is a mechanical engineer who conducts investigations into crashes and accidents, and conducted simulations at the Remuera property in June and July 2024.
He said his simulations showed there was sufficient force to cause death.
In cross-examination, crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock made the point that MacGregor’s simulation was based only on Polkinghorne’s account.
“But you’ve done it entirely – and I’m not criticising this – on his account of things in order to do what you did.”
“That’s correct,” MacGregor said.
“And that requires quite a bit of interpretation doesn’t it, which is a matter for the jury,” she said.
She questioned him on the fact that he had to conduct research to make his simulation.
The court heard earlier in the trial that Hanna had not researched suicide before her death.
Hanna contracted ‘photographic services’ 11 years before death
Mansfield called Regina Haysom as the final witness of the day.
Haysom formerly operated a business called bodyshop, which provided “photographic services” for clients.
“In March 2010, Mrs Polkinghorne contracted with your business to provide photos of herself for the purposes of a surprise present for her husband?” Mansfield questioned.
Haysom confirmed that she did, and there were a number of photographs of Hanna taken and presented in a booklet and in two wall portraits.
In a brief cross examination, McClintock questioned that these photos were taken 11 years before Hanna’s death.
“What year was this?” she asked.
“2010, quite a while ago,” Haysom replied.
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