Polkinghorne Back at Inquest | Wellington News

Wellington News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 11, 2026 · 2m

Philip Polkinghorne returns to the spotlight at a coronial inquest into his wife Pauline Hanna’s death, where unresolved questions from his recent acquittal loom large. Though cleared of murder, the jury remained deeply divided on suicide versus homicide — and now the coroner must piece together the exact when, where, and how. Polkinghorne, devastated and disoriented, claims he was too overwhelmed to function that morning, couldn’t get his phone to work, and denies using drugs or speaking to sex worker Madison Ashton — though she disputes that. He insists he didn’t know about his wife’s…