Face of the Day

Philip Polkinghorne says he began to delete photos and data on his phone from sex worker Madison Ashton when he realised he was the “prime suspect” in his wife’s death.

He told a coroner he felt “betrayed” by the police who had been interviewing him for several hours before a defence lawyer friend called him to tell he was likely a suspect.

Polkinghorne was found not guilty two years ago of the 2021 murder of Pauline Hanna and was giving evidence today at an inquest into her death.

He did not testify during the trial.

His lawyer, Ron Mansfield, asked him to explain why he had deleted pictures and data from his phone after Hanna’s death.

“It was embarrassing. I wanted to keep it private.”

There were also messages from other sex workers, he said.

“It had compromising material that I didn’t want anyone to see,” he said.

Polkinghorne said he had gone to the police station to be interviewed the same day he found his wife.

He got a call midway through from his friend, defence lawyer Tony Bouchier, who told him his house was a crime scene and he was likely a suspect.

Police had not told him that, he said.

“I felt I had been betrayed and that they had taken advantage of my vulnerability,” he said.

RNZ