Philip Polkinghorne gives evidence at a coroner’s inquest into the death of his wife, Pauline Hanna, and denies that he killed her. During his testimony, he says he has told lies about events surrounding his wife’s death, but he maintains that he is not responsible for her death.
Both outlets report that Polkinghorne’s statements at the inquest focus on his credibility and the discrepancy between what he has previously said and what he now presents as the truth. Stuff.co.nz characterises his denial as forceful, describing his position as “false, patently wrong” in response to claims he killed his wife. NZ Herald reports that his testimony continues and that he acknowledges he has told many lies since Hanna’s death.
The differing emphasis in coverage centers on tone and phrasing: one outlet highlights a direct denial, while the other foregrounds his admission of extensive lying. Neither outlet, in the provided excerpts, offers a definitive determination of how Hanna died, or details beyond Polkinghorne’s evidence at the inquest.
