A forensic pathologist called by the defence in the murder trial of an Auckland eye surgeon, said he would have concluded Pauline Hanna's was a suicide if he was responsible for the case.
Polkinghorne is on trial at the High Court in Auckland for the murder of his wife, Hanna.
The defence's case rests on Hanna having ended her own life, while the Crown argues the scene was staged after a violent strangulation.
Dr Stephen Cordner, an Australian forensic pathologist, was called by the defence to give evidence in the trial earlier this week and his evidence continued on Friday.
Cordner said there was "no evidence" to support Hanna's death had been a homicide or due to manual strangulation.
If someone had been strangled by another person, Cordner said more often than not, there would be additional injuries to the body which indicated an assault.
"That doesn't seem to be the case here," Cordner said.
During cross-examination by Crown Solicitor Alysha McClintock, there was a focus on the injuries Hanna was found with.
One of the injuries was a bruise to the skull which earlier in the trial Crown pathologist Dr Kilak Kesha, said was caused either by something hitting her head or her head hitting something.
Corner agreed with this but said the bruise didn't confirm whether there had been an assault or if there was some other cause.
There was also an injury on Hanna's nose, which McClintock questioned Cordner on.
Cordner said this injury could have been caused after death, along with bruises found on Hanna's right arm.
The trial continues.
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