Act leader David Seymour advocated for Philip Polkinghorne with top cop after Pauline Hanna’s death

The letter was written in April 2022, four months before Polkinghorne was charged with killing his wife Pauline Hanna, a crime of which he was found not guilty after a nine-week trial at the High Court at Auckland in 2024.

In the letter, Seymour accused police of inappropriate practice, invading privacy and alleging Polkinghorne and another doctor at Auckland Eye were involved in money laundering.

“While acknowledging the difficult balance police must strike, Mr Polkinghorne feels that he has been subject to prejudice from the police,” wrote Seymour to the superintendent.

The letter also listed several specific ways in which the Remuera eye surgeon felt unfairly treated by police.

It said Polkinghorne had been left by police unshowered, hungry, thirsty, distressed, alone and “trapped” inside a locked police car for 15 minutes on the day of his wife’s death.

“At the police station Mr Polkinghorne was asked what he thought was to be some supplementary questions, but this evolved into a prolonged interview lasting some four hours,” wrote Seymour on behalf of the doctor.

He also alleged police did not inform the doctor of his legal rights.

The Epsom MP also criticised police for contacting Polkinghorne’s private psychologist to ask for his diagnosis and appointment schedule.

“Again, this is highly inappropriate I would have thought and quite invasive to Mr Polkinghorne’s privacy and welfare,” wrote Seymour.

The Act leader continued, criticising police for denying family access to Hanna’s toxicology and autopsy results, and for asking Counties Manukau health officials to also withhold a review of Hanna’s workload from her family.

Seymour’s letter also claimed police informed the Medical Council that they had found illicit drugs in the doctor’s home. “Ownership of the drugs had not been established,” he wrote.

Polkinghorne later pleaded guilty to methamphetamine-related charges and was sentenced to 150 hours of community service.

“One can understand the police investigating an unexplained death with due diligence and Mr Polkinghorne, being Ms Hanna’s husband, was obviously close to the events.

“It’s understandable that police would regard him as a person of interest. But in this instance the police appear to have gone beyond that brief. While acknowledging the difficult balance police must strike, Mr Polkinghorne feels that he has been subject to prejudice from the police in the above actions.

“I am very aware and supportive over the constitutional separation between Members of Parliament and police operations,” wrote Seymour to the District Commander.

“However, Mr Polkinghorne has approached me feeling he has no other avenues to pursue.”

The Herald sent a list of questions to Seymour, including whether Polkinghorne had made donations to the Act Party before and after the letter was written, and whether he has written letters of support for others facing criminal charges.

Seymour told the Herald he met Polkinghorne at community events and said in a statement: “An electorate MP’s job is to serve their constituents. I had a constituent contact me with concerns over the way they felt they had been treated by police. As is made clear in the letter, the intention was to pass on the constituent’s concerns to police. Police responded assuring good practice was being followed and there was no further correspondence on the matter.

“This all took place before any charges were being pursued,” he said through a spokesman.

The Herald first reported Polkinghorne describing himself as a police person of suspect three days after Hanna’s death on Easter Monday 2021.

When approached by the Herald about the letter, police sent through a statement.

“Police received a letter from Mr Seymour on 14 April 2022,” it said.

“Police replied by email on 30 April 2022 referring Mr Seymour to Dr Polkinghorne’s lawyer (at the time) and the IPCA.

“No details of the case were mentioned in this reply.

“The Op Kian investigation team is unable to comment on the correspondence of elected members.

“Mr Seymour was not interviewed by the investigation and had no involvement in the trial.”

Polkinghorne didn’t comment when approached by the Herald.

Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland-based investigative journalist who won Best Documentary at the Voyager Media Awards in 2022. She worked for the Herald on Sunday from 2007-2011 and rejoined the Herald in 2016 after working as an award-winning current affairs producer at TVNZ’s 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Sunday.