Speaker 1: Kiyota.
Speaker 2: I'm Chelsea Daniels and from the team behind the front
Speaker 2: page the New Zealand Herald's daily news podcast, This is.
Speaker 1: Accused the polking Horn Trial.
Speaker 2: Over six weeks in conjunction with our usual daily episodes,
Speaker 2: we'll be bringing you regular coverage as one of the
Speaker 2: most high profile trials of the year makes its way
Speaker 2: through the High Court at Auckland. A warning, this podcast
Speaker 2: contains disturbing content. Week five in the trial of Philip
Speaker 2: Polkinghorn has kicked off with more on what was found
Speaker 2: on the couple's tech, a hint that Hannah found a
Speaker 2: pea pipe months before her death, and what exactly is
Speaker 2: a girlfriend experience and a message drafted on the morning
Speaker 2: of Pauline Hannah's death. The former auckland Ie surgeon is
Speaker 2: accused of murdering his wife, who was found dead on
Speaker 2: April fifth, twenty twenty one. He maintains she took her
Speaker 2: own life. Day twenties saw Detective Andrew Reeves back on
Speaker 2: the stand. You'll remember he was responsible for examining their
Speaker 2: mobile phones. He dives into a phone associated with Pauline Hannah.
Speaker 2: He went through four hundred and sixteen searches extracted from
Speaker 2: the phone over the one hundred.
Speaker 3: And twenty one day period.
Speaker 4: I obviously searched for terms of reference or relevance, and
Speaker 4: I could not find any searches for the terms self harm, suicide, hanging, tying, knots,
Speaker 4: or depression. In fact, none of the searches on the
Speaker 4: phone related to suicide.
Speaker 2: She also searched for apartments for sale in Napier. Earlier
Speaker 2: the trial heard some of her friends and family had
Speaker 2: her to leave Polkinghorn and return to the Hawk's Bay.
Speaker 2: Her friends, the Reddons, made that recommendation after she revealed
Speaker 2: her husband had placed his hands on her neck. On
Speaker 2: the twenty fourth of December twenty twenty. She searched pea pipe,
Speaker 2: what does pea look like? And what sensation does.
Speaker 1: Pe give you?
Speaker 2: Reeves found about thirty four thousand images and more than
Speaker 2: one thousand videos on her iPhone Yes.
Speaker 4: The general theme of those images included fashion, beauty products,
Speaker 4: plastic surgery, celebrities, presentations such as business presentations, magazines and
Speaker 4: Disney themes.
Speaker 5: And were there any images of pornography or lucy on
Speaker 5: the phone.
Speaker 4: No, there were no images found of any pornography or
Speaker 4: nudity on the phone.
Speaker 2: Twenty percent of the images were taken by the camera.
Speaker 2: They included mainly photos of family, her grandchild, polking horn
Speaker 2: and holidays. Dicky refers the detective to a couple of
Speaker 2: images in particular relating to the searches on Christmas Eve
Speaker 2: twenty twenty regarding meth pipe and the appearance of the drug.
Speaker 3: On the twenty fifth of December.
Speaker 4: The day after, on Christmas Day, photos were taken with
Speaker 4: the phones camera at nine pm on the twenty twenty
Speaker 4: fifth of December twenty twenty. There was a photograph taken
Speaker 4: on page forty nine of a what looks like a
Speaker 4: shopping bag which had two used class pipes in it.
Speaker 4: And these are the same types of popes commonly used
Speaker 4: to smoke methanphetamine, so.
Speaker 6: These are photographs taken by the fun correct.
Speaker 2: Reeves moves on to the videos. There were mainly of
Speaker 2: family events, her grandchildren, and work related. He notes the
Speaker 2: messages were mainly work related as well. In December twenty nineteen,
Speaker 2: there were texts to the mental health crisis team. On
Speaker 2: April third, twenty twenty one, she sent Philip's Sunna text
Speaker 2: asking him to join them for dinner on Monday April fifth.
Speaker 2: On April fourth, the night before she was found dead,
Speaker 2: she sent her niece and her partner in Easter message.
Speaker 2: She sent her colleague Sharon Alabastro, a message thanking her
Speaker 2: for her work and saying she was keen to catch
Speaker 2: up with her. The phone records when the phone was
Speaker 2: physically moved measured steps in distance. Reeves looks at the
Speaker 2: usage and activity.
Speaker 4: The device was plugged into charge at ten forty seven
Speaker 4: pm on the fourth of April twenty twenty one, which
Speaker 4: coincides with the steps ending, and the last activity on
Speaker 4: the phone was an orientation change at ten forty seven
Speaker 4: pm on the fourth of April twenty twenty one.
Speaker 6: What does that mean? Just a movement of the screen.
Speaker 3: It means to move when I the screen.
Speaker 4: The phone could have been plugged in and placed down
Speaker 4: and the screen changed orientation.
Speaker 2: Next, Reeves looks into the WhatsApp messaging between Polkinghorn and
Speaker 2: Madison Ashton on the eighth of December twenty twenty The
Speaker 2: pair exchange messages appearing like Polkinghorn abandoning plans to have
Speaker 2: Christmas with Ashton and talk of not doing quarantine.
Speaker 1: They speak about Ashton's.
Speaker 2: Work bookings, She accuses him of acting like a child,
Speaker 2: that he has a gutta mentality when it comes to
Speaker 2: her occupation, but goes on to say he is very lovable,
Speaker 2: kind and patient sexy. Moving on to Ashton's phones, you'll
Speaker 2: remember they were seized when the pair were at Mount
Speaker 2: Cook Chalet twenty five days after Hannah's death. Messages indicate
Speaker 2: they've known each other since twenty fifteen. There was an
Speaker 2: email document showing a payment of eight hundred dollars and
Speaker 2: an appointment for a one hour girlfriend experience. I Messages
Speaker 2: between Ashton and Polkinghorn start April seventeen, twenty twenty one.
Speaker 2: There are one hundred and eighty three pages of them.
Speaker 2: They include naked photos of Ashton.
Speaker 3: Yes, doctor Polkin.
Speaker 4: One response to the naked images saying, how can you
Speaker 4: be so studying dwelling?
Speaker 3: You are sensational.
Speaker 2: The messages continue daily, just like they did on the
Speaker 2: WhatsApp before Polkinghorn's phone was confiscated by police. On April
Speaker 2: twenty third. Ashton asks whether there was any words on
Speaker 2: password police etc. Or auckland I and asked whether he's
Speaker 2: started on your pr offensive yet. Then they're organizing their
Speaker 2: rendezvous in Queenstown.
Speaker 4: Shortly after that, Miss Eshton replies with if you passed away,
Speaker 4: I wouldn't leave the house ever. Again on page ninety two,
Speaker 4: Professor Pokinhorn replies to miss Ashton, saying, Darling, you and
Speaker 4: I aren't going anywhere.
Speaker 3: We are going to last one hundred years.
Speaker 2: Onto the twenty fifth when there's evidence of a call
Speaker 2: and then Ashton sends Polkinghorn a link to a real
Speaker 2: estate website. The website relates to a property in New
Speaker 2: South Wales. Polkinghorn says, interesting, something to talk about on Thursday.
Speaker 2: They move on to talking about the Queenstown Chalet get away.
Speaker 3: If we are.
Speaker 4: Over the lodge, Kenza back to chrish Shirt Saturday afternoon
Speaker 4: dinner there and then Sunday night might be more leisurely.
Speaker 4: The flight back for you, well, you have to be
Speaker 4: at airport a minimum of two hours for all dbs.
Speaker 3: Anyway, we can play it by year. Is there anything
Speaker 3: else you want to do while in inn Z?
Speaker 4: Do you fancy buddy jumping one tours, skiing a glacier?
Speaker 3: Well, sorry, you aren't. The strip.
Speaker 4: It's going to be all about us. Get used to it.
Speaker 4: Scary though, I hope we don't fuck it up xx.
Speaker 6: That's twenty six April nineteen. I think, PM, yeah, correct.
Speaker 2: Yes, Ashton Wriot's fourteen months is a long time in
Speaker 2: any relationship not to be at each other's side, and.
Speaker 4: Doctor Pokin Won replies, I am not good arguing, so
Speaker 4: let's not.
Speaker 3: I agree. It's been a.
Speaker 4: Long time we have been together and will be some transition.
Speaker 4: We both will have changed, so I think we should
Speaker 4: just see how it goes with no big ambitions. If
Speaker 4: we gewel, great, but if it's too hard, while that's life.
Speaker 4: I am really dying to see you all the same
Speaker 4: and just talk. I am not going to change your
Speaker 4: life or attempt to. And whilst I have plans for
Speaker 4: the future, I am sure you do too. There may
Speaker 4: be commonality or maybe not. I have missed having dinner
Speaker 4: with you and talking as much, but that's all I
Speaker 4: will say, and then good night, good night. That is
Speaker 4: at ten oh seven pm on the twenty sixth, Miss
Speaker 4: Ashton replies, Okay, sounds like you're breaking up with me?
Speaker 3: What the fuck?
Speaker 4: Doctor Polkinghorn says fuck no, christ never, I am not
Speaker 4: trying to push you in any direction.
Speaker 3: I haven't come this far to walk away.
Speaker 1: The messages end on April twenty eighth.
Speaker 2: Other messages the third of January twenty nineteen, for example,
Speaker 2: Polkinghorn says his sister will be in Sydney.
Speaker 4: Miss Ashton replies absolutely, send me the dates and I'll
Speaker 4: add to the calendar. Her reply is nine forty six
Speaker 4: pm five minutes later, and then at nine ffty three
Speaker 4: pm on the same day, the third of January, TKS
Speaker 4: blogging one says, fuck, this is a big step meeting
Speaker 4: my family and my sister is my closest anyway, talk
Speaker 4: to my darling tonight. But she is really good and
Speaker 4: I am so happy she is going to Bali. She
Speaker 4: needs time to reflect, of course she thinks I am
Speaker 4: nuts haha.
Speaker 2: For coverage of other news events in New Zealand, listen
Speaker 2: to the front page The Herald's daily news podcast wherever
Speaker 2: you get your podcasts. On Cross Examination, Ron Mansfield runs
Speaker 2: Detective Reeves through how a phone is cloned, what software
Speaker 2: is used, and when Polkinghorn's mobile phone was seized. It
Speaker 2: was the day after Hannah's funeral. He also asks Reeves
Speaker 2: about his investigation of Madison Ashton and potential news articles
Speaker 2: that may have come up.
Speaker 5: A previous port cases before The Australian in courts.
Speaker 3: I did see some articles relating to that.
Speaker 6: Were there articles relating to.
Speaker 5: Miss Ashton speaking a financial compensation from men who she
Speaker 5: is suited?
Speaker 6: She was in a relationship of a de facto.
Speaker 3: Kind, I believe. I saw one article like that, yes, but.
Speaker 5: The one challenging the estate of a former client for funds.
Speaker 3: Do you have the client's name?
Speaker 6: I can't gets it, but.
Speaker 3: I recalled some article like that. Yes.
Speaker 2: Mansfield has hinted at some evidence he'll be bringing up
Speaker 2: later in the trial as part of the defense's case
Speaker 2: regarding the police listening to communications between Polkinghorn and a
Speaker 2: range of people.
Speaker 5: So for a period in time, and we'll have that
Speaker 5: time confirmed through a later witness, the New Zealand police
Speaker 5: were intercepting his telephone communications with various people in a
Speaker 5: particular Miss Ashton, correct.
Speaker 3: I believe.
Speaker 2: So they run through some of Ashton's online presence under
Speaker 2: her stage name of Christine McQueen. Mansfield points out to
Speaker 2: offerings of a girlfriend experience and a porn star experience.
Speaker 2: He goes on to talk about the investigation of Ashton's
Speaker 2: client list and.
Speaker 5: Those communications were ongoing for way of.
Speaker 6: A professional relationship correct, correct.
Speaker 5: Now, presumably some of those other men with whom she
Speaker 5: was engaging in that way would have known her also
Speaker 5: for many years.
Speaker 6: Well, yep, did you see the evidence as to that.
Speaker 3: Some of the messaging did go back quite a few years.
Speaker 5: Yes, and it would have been clear to you in
Speaker 5: that messaging that the professional relationship had also had also
Speaker 5: moved into more of an informal friend type nature, so
Speaker 5: far as there were more communications between them beyond simply
Speaker 5: organizing an hour, four hours or a day.
Speaker 6: For the provision of sexual services.
Speaker 5: So there was more sharing of information than simply making
Speaker 5: a bookking.
Speaker 3: Some of the clients were more friendly.
Speaker 5: Yes, I suppose that might be seen as just good marketing. Yes,
Speaker 5: but certainly you would have seen the communications where she
Speaker 5: is making those men with whom she is engaging over
Speaker 5: a number of years feel I suppose, for want of
Speaker 5: a better word, especially as far as she's concerned, she
Speaker 5: was friendly.
Speaker 3: With m ys.
Speaker 2: Mansfield asks about the first booking, did it involve Pauline
Speaker 2: Hannah or who he refers to as Missus Polkinghorn.
Speaker 5: So on the very first occasion, it was clear that
Speaker 5: both mister and Missus Polkinghorn were contracting the services of
Speaker 5: Miss Ashton so that they would both be meeting here
Speaker 5: at the same time.
Speaker 3: That's what the booking told me.
Speaker 2: Yes, Mansfield reads out an email from Christine McQueen to Philip.
Speaker 5: The only way we get a date on this is
Speaker 5: from the bottom of the page.
Speaker 6: Unfortunately, it's.
Speaker 5: The thirteenth of November twenty sixteen at four forty three,
Speaker 5: so it's around that time. But the content of the
Speaker 5: email from Christine McQueen to Philip Popinghorn. Hi, Philip, my
Speaker 5: apologies and delay in getting back to you, that should
Speaker 5: be a problem at all to arrange.
Speaker 6: I We'll just have to make sure both men are free.
Speaker 5: So can I confirm Philip that it will be yourself,
Speaker 5: Paul and Christine and the two gentlemen for two to
Speaker 5: three hours.
Speaker 6: Sounds like an amazing time, that's for sure.
Speaker 5: I will be in touch once we've worked out final details.
Speaker 5: Take Kia Sophie, which I understand to be miss Eshton's PA.
Speaker 3: Correct.
Speaker 4: Miss Ashton had numerous pos I don't I didn't know
Speaker 4: about Sophie, but yeah, but.
Speaker 5: It appears that she was involved in making, or at
Speaker 5: least dealing with this book.
Speaker 3: Correct. Correct?
Speaker 6: Thank you can I produce.
Speaker 2: That jah Mansfield produces a summary of WhatsApp messages from
Speaker 2: January first to April fourth, twenty twenty one. Earlier, we
Speaker 2: heard Reeves couldn't see anything before April fifth on Polkinghorn's phone,
Speaker 2: but it appears they were still on Ashton's phone. They
Speaker 2: were scrambled as the messaging st of us is encrypted,
Speaker 2: but he was able to see the dates and the
Speaker 2: number of messages. There were sixty eight messages from Polkinghorn
Speaker 2: and one hundred and twenty two from Ashton. Reef says
Speaker 2: they also used I message email and SMS Mansfield asks
Speaker 2: about whether Reeves can tell between Ashton's marketing images to
Speaker 2: clients should send similar photos to her other long standing clients.
Speaker 5: And we see that there's no response to that message,
Speaker 5: no response from doctor Polkinghorn. And then we see that
Speaker 5: there are further messages that she has sent on the
Speaker 5: same day, So four twenty nine, four point thirty five,
Speaker 5: four point fifty nine on page four correct. Correct, So
Speaker 5: that's three messages no response.
Speaker 1: Mansfield says.
Speaker 2: Polking Horn doesn't reply until April seventh, so twenty.
Speaker 5: Messages shout out by MS Eshton without her response. By
Speaker 5: way a message from doctor Polkinhorn correct.
Speaker 3: No response on what tip No.
Speaker 2: While some people distanced themselves from Polkinghorn after it came
Speaker 2: to light he was being looked at as a person
Speaker 2: of suspect. Mansfield says Ashton amped it up her messages
Speaker 2: become more regular. Mansfield says there were other men Ashton
Speaker 2: was communicating with in a similar manner, saying it's part
Speaker 2: of the marketing, isn't.
Speaker 1: It part of the service she's providing.
Speaker 2: Reeves says from what he saw, he didn't see her
Speaker 2: saying I love you as much to other men. Within
Speaker 2: the messages, Ashton gives the name of an Australian lawyer.
Speaker 2: Then there's more talk of other lawyers. Mansfield asked about
Speaker 2: images of k nots Reeve's earlier said were found on
Speaker 2: one of Polkinghorn's hard drives. The screenshot photo was taken
Speaker 2: on the first of January twenty twelve and.
Speaker 6: Embedded in the meta data.
Speaker 5: Does it read the URL for the particular site as softbakes,
Speaker 5: dot co dot in z soft bakes it's his PHP
Speaker 5: albums correct, AU albums correct correct. So those knots to
Speaker 5: what you decided might be relevant and told us about
Speaker 5: We're not only captured in twenty twelve, but they related
Speaker 5: to soft baked fishing.
Speaker 2: Correct are you aware Rings Beach is a good spot
Speaker 2: for fishing, Mansfield asks, yes, says Reeves. Day twenty one
Speaker 2: saw Detective Reeves's cross examination continue. Ron Mansfield questioned him
Speaker 2: more about what he analyzed from Hannah's device, drilling the
Speaker 2: point home she sends emails at all hours and she
Speaker 2: was working a lot before her death. Reeves earlier mentioned
Speaker 2: he looked at the phone's movements and used that to
Speaker 2: determine when she usually woke and slept.
Speaker 5: In your evidence yesterday, on reviewing the reports, a pattern
Speaker 5: of waking up between four point fifty two am and
Speaker 5: seven thirty nine am on weekdays.
Speaker 6: Is seen correct?
Speaker 3: Correct?
Speaker 5: Well, when you look at the emails, just the emails
Speaker 5: she's sending out.
Speaker 6: That's not correct at all, is it?
Speaker 3: No?
Speaker 5: In fact, we can see that she is doing the
Speaker 5: night shift on a number of those days, and we're
Speaker 5: simply looking at the days between twenty eight March through
Speaker 5: to the fourth of vapor correct. Correct, But do you
Speaker 5: not think it leaves a misleading, leading impression that you're
Speaker 5: talking about a pattern of waking up between four point
Speaker 5: fifty two am and seven thirty nine am. When you
Speaker 5: know Dan well, she was sending emails through these hours.
Speaker 3: As I said before, I didn't review the emails in detail.
Speaker 4: I looked at the device movements and created that pattern
Speaker 4: of life. I realized now that I should have cross
Speaker 4: referenced them.
Speaker 2: Mansfield questioned why Reeves did seven plus formal written statements
Speaker 2: to assist the jury that traverse Polkinghorn's relationship with Ashton,
Speaker 2: but didn't review her work related email history or the
Speaker 2: messaging between the husband and wife.
Speaker 4: I did review the messages. I looked at them. I
Speaker 4: didn't create a detailed report on it.
Speaker 5: Bye Was that because the messages didn't support the police.
Speaker 4: Narrative as I said, the messages were normal day to
Speaker 4: day messages.
Speaker 5: Or did those messages reveal a working, loving relationship between
Speaker 5: the two of them.
Speaker 2: Mansfield produces another booklet of messages beginning twenty first of
Speaker 2: February twenty twenty. He runs through the messages sent back
Speaker 2: and forth between the couple, lots of ex's darlings and
Speaker 2: heart emojis. Further messages show the pair checking in on
Speaker 2: each other and asking how they are.
Speaker 1: Reeves agrees, I can sorry.
Speaker 3: Could I just make a query.
Speaker 4: I see this was downloaded on something called digit DNA.
Speaker 4: In terms of the timings, the timings end with AEDT.
Speaker 3: What time zone is that.
Speaker 6: I'll come back to you on that and confumed, thank you.
Speaker 5: It's been downloaded by doctor Polkinghorn's IT expert. From the
Speaker 5: material disclosed he's based in Australia, so I understand that's
Speaker 5: the Australian time. So it's Australian edy time, okay, So
Speaker 5: to adjusted by.
Speaker 6: An hour because I think they're an hour behind.
Speaker 3: Is he based in Sydney or Melbourne?
Speaker 1: Justice Lang interjecs.
Speaker 2: I think it's Australian Eastern daylight time, so I would
Speaker 2: have thought it's probably two hours. Mansfield says he's not
Speaker 2: relying on these for the time, but the contents. He
Speaker 2: goes on to ask Reeves about the images of a
Speaker 2: pea pipe found in Hannah's phone taken on Christmas Day
Speaker 2: twenty twenty. Mansfield asks about another image found on a
Speaker 2: USB from the polking Horn home, also of a pipe
Speaker 2: with the words sweet Puff on the side. You can
Speaker 2: purchase them on websites and they're also sold in Australian stores.
Speaker 2: By April sixth, twenty twenty one, police had seized devices
Speaker 2: from the remuwaer A home. He was left without a laptop,
Speaker 2: and if he was to purchase another one, it makes
Speaker 2: sense to transfer his iCloud storage. This refers to Polkinghorn's
Speaker 2: Google search of how to do that. Mansfield references the
Speaker 2: Duck duck go web searches of leg edema after strangulation.
Speaker 2: There were other searches on this browser, Mansfield says, so.
Speaker 5: He knows at the time of making these searches, based
Speaker 5: on what we know, that the police are investigating his
Speaker 5: wife's death as a suspicious.
Speaker 6: Death, and he is viewed as a potential suspect. Correct.
Speaker 3: Correct.
Speaker 6: In strangulation, that would include hanging, wouldn't.
Speaker 7: It well speak, I'll put it different.
Speaker 6: So strangulation is a very general term. Correct.
Speaker 4: The reason this search true My attention is because of
Speaker 4: the distinction between in my mind, between hanging strangulation.
Speaker 3: So that's why I found it to be noteworthy.
Speaker 5: But if he was a suspect for his wife's death,
Speaker 5: then the allegation would have to have been that he
Speaker 5: had strangled he correct.
Speaker 3: I'm not sure if this is what it was at
Speaker 3: the time.
Speaker 6: Logically that might follow might not.
Speaker 3: At the time, I think that.
Speaker 4: Investigation was just investigating whether it was hanging or not.
Speaker 2: Mansfield moves on to Polkinghorn's phone usage and questions around
Speaker 2: why he may have had airplane mode on. Mansfield says
Speaker 2: some people do it to switch off overnight to prevent
Speaker 2: being disturbed by communications onto Hannah's devices and the search
Speaker 2: for asphyxia. Reeves believes it's in relation to a French novelist,
Speaker 2: Emile Zola, who accidentally asphyxiated himself to gases emitted from
Speaker 2: a stove in nineteen oh two. Previous searches indicate this
Speaker 2: as well. Mansfield refers to a phone call Hannah made
Speaker 2: to Polkinghorn's mother Mary on April third, twenty twenty one.
Speaker 2: They spoke for about thirteen minutes and forty two seconds.
Speaker 2: It's something Polkinghorn mentioned in his police interview. He produces
Speaker 2: another exhibit, part of a timeline for Hannah's phone for
Speaker 2: the early morning of April fifth, twenty twenty one, the
Speaker 2: morning of her death. A log entry for about four am.
Speaker 2: Mansfield goes through what apparently happens when someone uses I message.
Speaker 2: When you start typing, the app connects and logs activity
Speaker 2: even if you didn't send the messaged.
Speaker 5: I've relied on what I'm told by an it switch,
Speaker 5: so we're both in the same position. But I'm told
Speaker 5: then it Tree is her drafting a text message to
Speaker 5: that number, which is Dr Polkinhorn's number, but then deleting it,
Speaker 5: so not sending it.
Speaker 6: Are you able to confirm.
Speaker 7: It or not?
Speaker 4: I can't confirm it, and I also wouldn't be able
Speaker 4: to confirm if it was who using the phone or not.
Speaker 2: A few minutes later, another log, Hannah's phone starts drafting
Speaker 2: a message to another number, her friend's daughter, who she
Speaker 2: had a connection with. Justice Lang suppressed the young woman's name.
Speaker 2: Neither message is actually sent. The trial continues tomorrow. You
Speaker 2: can listen to episodes of Accused the Polkinghorn Trial through
Speaker 2: the front Page podcast feed or find it on iHeartRadio
Speaker 2: or wherever you get your podcasts. This series is presented
Speaker 2: and produced by me Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Seles
Speaker 2: and sound engine Paddy Fox. Additional reporting from the Heralds
Speaker 2: Craig Captan and George Block and for more coverage of
Speaker 2: the Polkinghorn trial, head to Enziherld dot Co.
Speaker 1: Dot nz