Philip Polkinghorne murder trial: Searches of his wife’s phone discussed

Warning: This story contains mentions of suicide and domestic violence.

• Pauline Hanna's husband Philip Polkinghorne has denied killing her at their Remuera home in April 2021 and staging her death as a suicide
• Polkinghorne previously pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and a pipe
• Prosecutors argue that a combination of financial problems, infidelity and drug use led Polkinghorne to murder his wife
• The defense argues that Hanna ended her life after suffering from depression for years.

Pauline Hanna was looking for asphyxia and anorgasmia in 2019, a police detective says.

The murder trial of Hanna's husband Philip Polkinghorne continued at the High Court in Auckland on Monday.

He is accused of murdering her and staging her death as a suicide.

The defense argues that Hanna committed suicide after suffering from depression for years.

Prosecutor Brian Dickey questioned Detective Andrew Reeves about web searches on Hanna's iPhone 8, which she used until her death.

Reeves said on December 28, 2019, that she looked up “anorgasnia.” Reeves clarified that he believes “anorgasmia” is the correct term.

One day later, on December 29, she searched for the term “asphyxia.”

Reeves said there were no searches on Hanna's phone related to suicide or self-harm.

He said she contacted a mental health team on December 23, 2019, and arranged a meeting with a counsellor, but there was no further communication about that meeting.

Reeves said Hanna was also looking for apartments for sale in the Napier suburb of Ahuriri.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard that Hanna's friends had urged her to leave Polkinghorne and move back to Hawke's Bay.

He said Hanna also searched for “P-pipe,” “What does P look like?” and “How does P make you feel?”

Reeves said there were two interesting photos taken on Hanna's phone on Christmas Day 2020: one of two meth pipes in a grocery bag and another of a meth pipe.

At the beginning of the trial, Polkinghorne pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and a pipe.