40 years ago, two bombs went off in Auckland's harbour when French agents targeted a Greenpeace ship. It was meant to be a warning against anti-nuclear protests, but the death of a photographer on board sparked a major police and political response. 

From the NZ Herald and Bird of Paradise Productions, this six-part series re-examines the bombing, the events leading up to it, the investigation that followed, and the ongoing fallout from this case and the French nuclear testing. 

Search for 'A Forgotten History' on your preferred podcast app. 

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Pauline Hanna on a boat, sea breeze, big smiles.

It’s the image filmmakers of a new three-part documentary into her death, and subsequent murder trial of her husband, decide to open on.

Philip Polkinghorne was found not guilty of strangling his wife and making it look like she’d taken her own life.

The Front Page covered the mammoth nine-week trial in the series: Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial.

Today on The Front Page, executive producer Mark McNeill is with us to talk about the trial, the documentary, and the life of Pauline.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

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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.

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. 

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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. 

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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.

Week five in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne has kicked off with more on what was found on the couple’s tech, a hint that Pauline Hanna found a P pipe months before her death, and what exactly is a ‘girlfriend experience’?

And two messages, drafted, on the morning of Pauline Hanna’s death, have also been revealed by the defence. 

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 reporting by Craig Kapitan and George Block. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.