Warning: This story discusses suicide.
A jury has found Philip Polkinghorne not guilty of murdering his wife Pauline Hanna in their Remuera home in April 2021.
Polkinghorne showed no emotion as the verdict was read out.
The verdict, read out moments ago by the foreman, was heard in silence in the courtroom.
Members of the Polkinghorne family were in tears in the public gallery, while the family of Pauline Hanna looked shocked by the verdict.
Polkinghorne and his lawyer have remained in court to for Justice Lang to set the sentencing date for the methamphetamine charges he pled guilty to at the start of the trial. He was remanded on bail for those charges, and scheduled to reappear in the High Court in early November.
After which, the jury was dismissed and Polkinghorne and his family were rushed out of the court room.
Polkinghorne, outside the court, called the verdict a "huge turning point".
"This process has taken a massive toll on so many of us. But now we can grieve and let Pauline rest in peace. That is the best gift we can possibly give her."
Speaking outside the court, Crown prosecutor Alysha McClintock told media she respected the jury's verdict.
"They worked hard on a difficult case, and we respect the verdict that they've reached … What's important today is there's been a great tragedy. Pauline Hanna died, and we feel for the family, the loved ones and those who loved her, but I absolutely respect the jury's verdict. They worked hard to reach it."
She said the Crown had no right of appeal, so the case was now over.
"The jury's worked hard, they listened to eight weeks of evidence and we asked them to piece it together. We respect the verdict they've reached, but we have no ability to appeal it."
She said it was a difficult case for "everybody", including herself, particularly due to the "sheer volume of interest" and media coverage.
"The evidence is there, was available to piece together, but at the end of the day the jury has to be convinced of that, and they have to be sure of that."
She said the community would also have to respect the jury's decision.
"The jury has to be sure, and they weren't sure."
One of Hanna's friends who attended the trial sobbed loudly as she walked past media outside.
Outside court, members of Hanna's family said the verdict was not the outcome they wanted, but they accepted the jury's decision.
Bruce and Rose Hanna, along with Pheasant and John Riordan, held a picture of Pauline Hanna, as they spoke to media.
Bruce Hanna said it was not the outcome they wanted but they had to now accept the decision.
He said it had been a long eight weeks and now was time to grieve.
Riordan, who had given evidence during the trial that Hanna had told her Polkinghorne had tried to strangle her, was visibly emotional while speaking about her friend.
She said Hanna was a wonderful person who did not deserve this end.
Justice Graham Lang addressed the jury, telling them they must be convinced of their verdict beyond a reasonable doubt. Lang said the defence did not bear the onus of proving Pauline Hanna killed herself, and sent jurors back into deliberation.
RNZ reporter Finn Blackwell, who was in court for much of the trial said the moment the verdict was read out was emotional for both sides.
"Some people held each other, I think it's been a long time coming to get to this point," Blackwell said.
"It was always going to come down to what the jury of 11 - as we're now down to - thought: Earlier today we'd had an indication that ... some of the jury thought that the Crown had not provided enough evidence that he'd killed his wife, while most thought there was not enough evidence of her committing suicide.
"It's been their decision that they started deliberating on Thursday, considering that evidence, to get to this point."
The trial at the High Court in Auckland spanned eight weeks, and heard from more than 80 witnesses.
The Crown argued Polkinghorne killed his wife after a possible violent struggle, while he may have been under the influence of methamphetamine.
But the defence maintained Hanna died by suicide after many years of struggling with depression, compounded by work-related stress during the pandemic.
The jury of three men and eight women asked to re-listen to some audio before beginning deliberations finishing their deliberations today.
