Polkinghorne Back at Inquest | Wellington News

Philip Polkinghorne returns to the spotlight at a coronial inquest into his wife Pauline Hanna’s death, where unresolved questions from his recent acquittal loom large. Though cleared of murder, the jury remained deeply divided on suicide versus homicide — and now the coroner must piece together the exact when, where, and how. Polkinghorne, devastated and disoriented, claims he was too overwhelmed to function that morning, couldn’t get his phone to work, and denies using drugs or speaking to sex worker Madison Ashton — though she disputes that. He insists he didn’t know about his wife’s grueling pandemic workload or her use of his sleeping pills. Testifying under intense scrutiny, he admits deleting “inappropriate” messages and explains his phone’s airplane mode as a result of work-related tasks — but the coroner presses him on inconsistencies in his account of the scene, including furniture placement. His request to bar media from filming was denied, adding another layer of public exposure to an already turbulent case. Prosecutors still believe Hanna died “at the hands of another,” while defense experts point to stress, alcohol, and medication as possible causes — leaving the truth buried deeper than ever. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/71a5ddf3fc0507ed