A reality star from The Real Housewives of Auckland says an encounter with Remuera eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne in a creative writing class last week left her shaken - and the tutor phoned to check on her afterwards. 

Julia Lorimer, 56, told the Herald that halfway through the one-day-long writing course, she was paired with Polkinghorne by their tutor. She has asked not to identify the course and tutor. 

Lorimer initially had no idea who he was, or that he had been tried for murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, she said. 

“I didn’t follow the trial or recognise him. I always thought of Polkinghorne as a tall ... doctor” the Auckland socialite told the Herald. 

Lorimer said Polkinghorne was meant to read her a writing extract to critique - but claims he ended up divulging much more. 

"He told me Pauline’s brain is stored and he wants it tested."
- Reality TV star Julia Lorimer 

“He didn’t ask anything about me, and talked about himself a lot - he was a bit pompous. I freaked out when I realised who he was,” Lorimer said. 

on Easter Monday 2021 Pauline Hanna, 63, a health procurement manager, was found dead in suspicious circumstances at the Remuera mansion she shared with her husband, Philip Polkinghorne. 

Pauline Hanna was married to eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne. She was found dead at their Remuera mansion on Easter Monday 2021. Photo / Norrie Montgomery 

Last September, after an eight-week trial in the High Court at Auckland, Polkinghorne, 72, was acquitted of murdering his wife. 

The Crown’s case was that Polkinghorne fatally strangled Hanna and that he was living a double life, obsessed with meth and in a relationship with sex worker Madison Ashton who lived in Sydney. 

The Crown's case was that Polkinghorne was living a double life with sex worker Madison Ashton. Polkinghorne was acquitted of murder in September. Photo / Supplied 

Polkinghorne’s defence was that Hanna was exhausted by her work during the Covid response, had a history of mental health issues, was on medication for depression, then died by suicide. 

Polkinghorne’s former lover, Madison Ashton, told the Herald she believes his book will be a “snooze fest.” 

“He is a sociopathic narcissist and will be craving the attention. I’m not interested in him, and I hope he leaves me out of the book; I didn’t kill Pauline or make her crazy. You might be up for a serve as well,” Ashton told the Herald. 

l-r: Michelle Blanchard, Gilda Kirkpatrick and Julia Sloane from TV show, The Real Housewives of Auckland. Photo / Supplied 

In 2016 Lorimer - then known as Julia Sloane - made international headlines after she made a racial slur against another housewife on TV show The Real Housewives of Auckland. 

She also researched and co-hosted an award-winning documentary, “Let’s talk about sex” - currently billed on Apple TV as a journey through the world of Kiwi sexuality. 

“Her journey takes us inside a dungeon, onto a pole-dancing stage, behind the scenes at a sex-toy shop, and inside the very real world of VR sex” the Apple TV blurb says. 

Lorimer is also a children’s author who recently self-published her fourth book - Kākāriki and the worm garden - to coincide with Matariki. 

Children's author Julia Lorimer with her fourth book, Kakariki and the Worm Farm. She is currently writing her first novel. Photo / Supplied 

Lorimer told the Herald she was on the writing course because she has recently started writing her first novel, about a road trip inspired by a true story. 

According to her, the first hour of the course was taken up with writing, then halfway through it, she and Polkinghorne were put together in a pair. 

Julia Lorimer told Philip Polkinghorne her book touched on methamphetamine. Photo / Supplied 

They read extracts from their books and Lorimer said that to break the ice she told Polkinghorne her novel touched on methamphetamine. 

“All I knew was his name was Philip, and he was writing a memoir. I told him my story involved a bit about meth. He said, ‘my memoir touches on meth.’ He [said he] also worked in the medical field and was charged with murdering his wife four years ago.” 

In November, Polkinghorne was sentenced to 150 hours of community work for possessing 37.7g of methamphetamine and pipe. 

“I asked if he poisoned her...then clicked it was Philip Polkinghorne in the documentary. He told me he was duped into the filming, but hasn’t watched it yet,” Lorimer said. 

Real Housewives of Auckland star Julia Lorimer claims Philip Polkinghorne's memoir will discredit the police and crown witnesses. Photo / Supplied 

Lorimer says Polkinghorne told her he made notes while he was in court during the trial. She believes his book will discredit police and the crown’s expert witnesses. 

“He told me he should not have been charged or gone to trial and his book was looking at the science behind the evidence. 

"I told him my story involved a bit about meth. He said, ‘my memoir touches on meth.’"
- Julia Lorimer 

“He said 95% of people agreed he was innocent, then he showed me police exhibits of a bathroom and a towel hanging on a rail. 

“He kept going on about how he was surrounded by incompetent people and had to get rid of his legal team four times. He claimed he knew more than they did about medical stuff.” 

Julia Lorimer said Philip Polkinghorne told her his wife Pauline Hanna might have died after a Covid-19 vaccination. Photo / Norrie Montgomery 

Lorimer claims Polkinghorne told her he believed Hanna might have died from the Covid-19 vaccination. 

“He told me there is a test now that might prove this. He told me Pauline’s brain is stored, and he wants it tested.” 

Lorimer told the Herald Philip Polkinghorne told her he wished he could've done more to help Pauline Hanna. Photo / Supplied. 

Lorimer told the Herald that when she arrived home, the writing tutor phoned to check on her. 

“He was amazing and explained we were paired because the other person sitting next to Polkinghorne was a young guy and the tutor didn’t think it was appropriate.” 

Lorimer said although it was confronting meeting Polkinghorne she didn’t feel unsafe and was relieved they didn’t swap numbers. 

“Look he was very friendly and wished he could’ve done more to help Pauline but he said she was a drunk, and depressive.” 

Philip Polkinghorne declined to comment. 

Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland-based investigative journalist who won Best Documentary at the Voyager Media Awards. She was recently runner-up for Best Editorial Campaign and part of a team that won Best Coverage of a Major News Event: Philip Polkinghorne Murder Trial. 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.