Pauline Hanna death: Coroner holds pre-inquest conference, Philip Polkinghorne listed as interested party

• A pre-inquest conference into Pauline Hanna’s death was held at Auckland District Court today.
• The interested parties are currently Philip Polkinghorne and Pauline Hanna’s siblings, Bruce and Tracey Hanna.
• Philip Polkinghorne was acquitted of his wife Pauline’s murder but pleaded guilty to methamphetamine-related charges.

A coroner held a pre-inquest conference into the circumstances of Pauline Hanna’s death at Auckland District Court today.

The conference was held to prepare for the inquest next year, how it will be run, and who will take part in it.

It was suggested the inquest could be held in August next year.

Prior to the conference, Coroner Tania Tetitaha wrote in a minute: “This death involves a suspected self-inflicted death.”

She also clarified in a footnote: “I make this observation without indicating any view on the ultimate questions of cause and circumstances of death.”

The minute lists the current interested parties as Philip Polkinghorne, and Pauline Hanna’s siblings Bruce and Tracey Hanna.

Coroner Tetitaha has already received documents from police, and expert reports filed on behalf of Bruce Hanna.

Bruce Hanna with his sister Pauline Hanna. Pauline died on Easter Monday, 2021, Bruce is attending the pre-inquiry into Pauline's death. Photo / Supplied

Polkinghorne, 71, was acquitted in September of murdering his wife Pauline Hanna, after an eight-week trial at Auckland’s High Court.

Hanna, a Counties-Manukau Health procurement executive, 63, was found dead in their Remuera mansion, on Easter Monday, 2021.

On the first day of the trial, the retired eye surgeon pleaded guilty to methamphetamine charges relating to 37.7 grams of the recreational drug seized by police from his Upland Rd Remuera house, and a P pipe found under his bed.

He was sentenced to 150 hours of community service in November.

Philip Polkinghorne pleased guilty to methamphetamine charges on the first day of the murder trial. Photo / Dean Purcell

In a minute of December 17, 2024, the coroner’s view was that a resumption of the inquiry into Hanna’s death was appropriate.

Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland-based investigative journalist who won Best Documentary at the Voyager Media Awards in 2022. She worked for the Herald on Sunday from 2007-2011 and rejoined the Herald in 2016 after working as an award-winning current affairs producer at TVNZ’s 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Sunday.