Police continue to treat the mysterious sudden death of a top health boss in the Auckland suburb of Remuera as "unexplained" a year on and are providing no new information about their investigation.
Pauline Hanna, also known as Pauline Polkinghorne, was found dead on April 5, 2021 in the Upland Rd home she lived in with her husband Philip Polkinghorne. Police scoured the property for clues for eleven days, but no significant updates have been provided to the public since.
The 63-year-old was a top health director at the Counties Manukau District Health Board and was involved in the DHB's COVID-19 work.
Soon after her death, Philip said he was being treated as a "person of suspect" by police. He said his wife was "remarkable" and her loss was "insurmountable".
A police spokesperson this week said police are "continuing to treat Pauline Hanna's death in April 2021 as unexplained".
"An investigation remains ongoing into the circumstances of her death and as such we are unable to provide further comment on specifics of the enquiry."
In the year since Pauline's death, it's been reported that she hired a private investigator prior to her death, that police detectives have interviewed a large number of Philip's associates - including a masseuse and a barber - and that the husband had been in a relationship with an Australian escort for a number of years.
Madison Ashton, who is from Melbourne, told Australian media last October that she met Philip in 2011 in Sydney. Their professional relationship reportedly initially involved Pauline, but in 2017 they started something more personal. She said she was unaware Pauline and Philip were still in a relationship at the time of the death.
Ashton confirmed she was helping New Zealand police at the time.
It's reported that Philip pleaded not guilty to a charge of careless driving in Auckland District Court in March. He didn't appear personally, with his lawyer entering the plea.
Traces of methamphetamine was reportedly found at the Upland Rd house last May. Philip's employer, Auckland Eye, said a review didn't find any clinical concerns. He has since retired.
