It was a murder trial that gripped New Zealand, and the world.

Pauline Hanna was found dead in a Remuera home she shared with her husband, Philip Polkinghorne, on April 5, 2021.

What followed was a months-long investigation, Polkinghorne charged with murder, a mammoth trial and eventually, an acquittal.

A jury came back with the not guilty verdict in September – a moment that would not be mark the end of this saga.

That’s because on day one of the trial, former Auckland eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne pleaded guilty to meth charges.

Today, he was sentenced to 150 hours community service – for possession of meth and a pipe.

You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial through The Front Page podcast feed, or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

This series is presented and produced by, Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sills and sound engineers Paddy Fox and Richard Martin.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heaven's Helpline is a new investigative podcast from the NZ Herald. 

When journalist Murray Jones started looking into the finances of the Mormon church in New Zealand, an intriguing Facebook post alerted him to a much bigger - and much darker - scandal.

From the NZ Herald, Heaven's Helpline is a six-part investigation into how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built a system that protects its wealth and reputation – and shields sexual predators from the law. 

Listen to episodes now wherever you get your podcasts. Funded by NZ on Air. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the new season of the true-crime podcast, Chasing Ghosts, join NZ Herald senior reporter David Fisher as he re-investigates the case of potentially New Zealand's worst catfisher. After exposing her in 2011, he thought she had learned her lesson, until receiving an email nearly a decade after he last thought about the case.

Listen to episodes now in the Chasing Ghosts feed wherever you get your podcast. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After eight weeks at the High Court in Auckland, on the first day of the ninth week, the jury has found Philip Polkinghorne not guilty of the murder of his wife, Pauline Hanna. 

For more on how the last day of the trial, NZ Herald crime reporter Craig Kapitan details the decision. 

You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial through The Front Page podcast feed, or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

This series is presented and produced by, Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sills and sound engineer Paddy Fox. Additional production support by Helen King. Additional reporting by Craig Kapitan and George Block. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Week Eight has the Crown and Defence issuing their closing statements.

The Crown alleges that Philip Polkinghorne killed his wife, Pauline Hanna, on April 5 2021.

He maintains she took her own life. 

After the Crown went first, it is now the turn of the defence - led by lawyer Ron Mansfield - to deliver its closing statement. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Week Eight has the Crown and Defence issuing their closing statements.

First is the Crown, with Crown Prosecutor Alysha McClintock delivering it to the jury.

The Crown alleges that Philip Polkinghorne killed his wife, Pauline Hanna, on April 5 2021.

He maintains she took her own life. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After seven weeks and over 80 witnesses, we have finished hearing evidence in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne.  

The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021. 

He maintains she took her own life. 

In the final days of testimony, the debate over activity on Hanna’s phone continued, before the last two witnesses to take the stand offered their views on the state of her mental health, and the risk factors that could have pushed her towards suicide.  

You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial through The Front Page podcast feed, or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

This series is presented and produced by, Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sills and sound engineer Paddy Fox. Additional production support by Helen King. Additional reporting by Craig Kapitan and George Block. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Originally due to run for six weeks, the trial of Philip Polkinghorne is now in its seventh week.  

The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021. 

He maintains she took her own life. 

More witnesses from the defence took the stand to discuss their thoughts on how Hanna died, and the risk factors that could have pushed her to take her own life.

New emails from Hanna were read to the court, and the question on if she used her phone the night before she died saw one Crown witness returned to the stand. 

You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial through The Front Page podcast feed, or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

This series is presented and produced by, Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sills and sound engineer Dan Goodwin. Additional production support by Helen King. Additional reporting by Craig Kapitan and George Block. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Week six of the trial of Philip Polkinghorne continued with the defence’s case.  

The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021. 

He maintains she took her own life. 

Witnesses for the defence revealed a different side of Polkinghorne then what we’ve previously heard, with former colleagues and neighbours describing him as funny, generous and caring.  

While the case took another dive into the couple’s accounts, electricity usage the morning Hanna died, and the reappearance of a red mark on the stairs – and the defence pathologist weighed in as well.  

You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial through The Front Page podcast feed, or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

This series is presented and produced by, Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sills and sound engineer Dan Goodwin. Additional production support by Helen King. Additional reporting by Craig Kapitan and George Block. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After nearly five weeks of witnesses, The Crown has closed its case in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne. 

The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021. 

He maintains she took her own life. 

The Crown closed its case with more on Polkinghorne’s arrest, Police searches, and a last minute witness on cell phones. 

The rest of the trial is now in the hands of the Defence – and for their first witness, they called up Pauline Hanna’s own sister. 

You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial through The Front Page podcast feed, or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

This series is presented and produced by, Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sills and sound engineer Paddy Fox. Additional production support by Helen King. Additional reporting by Craig Kapitan and George Block. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.