1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: Good afternoon. The Polkinghorn trial has turned to Phillip Polkinghorn's 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: relationships with six workers. Now he's accused of murdering his wife, 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:10,239 Speaker 1: Pauline Hannah in twenty twenty one, while his defense is 4 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: she took her own life. Chelsea Daniels has been covering 5 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: the trials. She's with us now, h ch else I 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: what was this morning's evidence? 7 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 2: Well? 8 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 3: Day eight featured evidence from Detective Senior Sergeant Lisa Jane Anderson. 9 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 3: Now she went to Mount Cook where Polkinghorn and his girlfriend, 10 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 3: Madison Ashton was staying after Hannah's death about April thirty. 11 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 3: For those who have been following along, Ashton is a 12 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,480 Speaker 3: Sydney based sex worker. Now Anderson arrived at Mount Cook 13 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 3: Lakeside Retreat at about seven pm on April thirtieth. A 14 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 3: white Toyota Polkinghorn had hired was parked out the front 15 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 3: of a standalone unit there. Anderson was there with two 16 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 3: other christ Church detectives to seize Madison Ashton's phones, which 17 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 3: were then handed over to digital forensic units in christ Church. 18 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: She declined to provide the pin numbers. 19 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 2: Pogginhorn in prison at that point. Yes, he was what 20 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 2: happened After she refused to supply the pin numbers, she 21 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: was asked a king. He refused to King what happened? 22 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: What did we hear in the afternoon? 23 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 3: Well, the Crown called Rob Masters. He was living in 24 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 3: a unit in Northcote Point, a block of about twelve 25 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 3: apartments there on the north shore known as Melrose Court. 26 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 3: Now Masters noticed a white Mercedes with the number plate 27 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 3: Ritna Retna. He first saw the car about twenty nineteen, 28 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 3: and it visited the complex on a weekly basis, sometimes 29 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 3: more frequently than that. Over time, he came to recognize 30 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 3: the man who drove that car. He met him a 31 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 3: couple of times on the driveway where he trained clients. 32 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: Did you learn of the individual's name? Yes? I did. 33 00:01:54,080 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 2: What was that Phillip Pulkinghorn? And how did you come 34 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 2: to learn of his name? He was introduced at one 35 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 2: of our agms as Philip John something along those lines. 36 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 2: I can't remember where there is surname. And then obviously 37 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 2: during the media attention right once his wife had been 38 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 2: had passed away. 39 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 3: The woman who lived at the complex was named rachel 40 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 3: or Alaria. She used both names now. She was in 41 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 3: her early to mid fifties, long blondish grayish hair. A 42 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 3: Polkinghorn would visit a bag, usually in tow. Masters saw 43 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,399 Speaker 3: some bottles of champagne, women's clothing. Perhaps it would never 44 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 3: be a farmer's bag though, or something like that. He 45 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 3: said that they were fancy bags. He described him as 46 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 3: being well dressed. 47 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 1: He'd seen him. 48 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 3: Once wearing his scrubs like the ones a doctor would wear. 49 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 3: He said. Rachel or a Laria would have a couple 50 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 3: of other regular visitors, but none as frequent as the 51 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 3: white Mercedes with the number plate RETA. He disappeared during 52 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 3: the COVID lockdowns. Now, Brian Dickie asked Masters what his 53 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 3: neighbor Rachel did for work. 54 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 2: My understanding is that Rachel was a sex worker. 55 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 3: After Hannah's death, the neighbor noticed the car with the 56 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 3: number plate RETNA vanished. 57 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: And the court was also shown video of Polkinghorn's police interview, 58 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: weren't they Yeah, It's about. 59 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 3: Three hours long. He jumps around from topic to topic, detailing 60 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 3: things like the couple's beach house, an argument that had 61 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 3: about staining there, the new the episode of New Amsterdam 62 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 3: they'd watched the night before, and Hannah's work in general. 63 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 3: He goes through the morning, he found his wife as well. 64 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: Thank you, Chelsea, appreciate Chelsea Daniels has been in court 65 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: for us and you can hear more from Chelsea about 66 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: this on The Herald's podcast Accused the polking Horn Trial. 67 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: For more from Hither Duplassy Allen Drive, listen live to 68 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: news talks. 69 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 70 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 2: on iHeartRadio.