And that's it from the Herald as well. Thanks for reading, we'll be back 10am Monday for the next defence witness. 

The jury has heard that it will be an expert witness.

Justice Lang says we'll call it a day.
"Today's been quick," says the judge, but it's not necessarily going to be like that next week. 

The trial looks like it is going to creep into the week of September 9, says Justice Lang.
"Keep an open mind, as I've said, because we still have some way to go. 
"Have a good weekend and we'll see you on Monday."

Daniels would have a couple of beers with Polkinghorne and Hanna, but they never had dinner with each other.
Daniels said he never heard yelling or screaming or arguments.
"They seemed fine."

Prosecutor Brian Dickey has some questions in cross-examination.

"Were you aware he was using drugs?"
"No."
"So that would come as a surprise to you?"
"Definitely."
Dickey refers to the evidence of Stephen MacIntyre, another Rings Beach bach owner, who said he noticed Polkinghorne acting erratically and like he may have been on drugs in the years before his wife's death.
Daniels said he never saw anything like that.

Dickey asks about Christmas 2019 when, the trial heard earlier, Polkinghorne went missing and wasn't contactable. It later emerged police found he had travelled to Sydney, but he had told his wife he was going on a personal development course.

Daniels doesn't seem to remember.

Would Daniels chat to Polkinghorne?

Yeah, we'd have a chat when we'd put out set lines, says Daniels. He explains they would use electric Kontiki lines with about 25 hooks. 

He counts himself among Polkinghorne's "fishing buddies" and says he's taught him a thing or two over the years.

"He can be quite eccentric," says Daniels. 

"I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed," he adds, recalling that Polkinghorne would crack a joke and "it'd take me a couple of minutes to figure it out then I'd crack up laughing".

Daniels tells Mansfield he never saw Polkinghorne under the influence of drugs and had never seen him lose his temper.

He'd noticed Polkinghorne had lost weight but thought it could have been just a health kick.

"[I] don't take much notice of that sort of thing when it comes to blokes," Daniels adds.

Would he have been surprised not to see him there at Christmas? asks Dickey.
"I know he's a busy man with his eye stuff and all that sort of stuff. He could have been back in Auckland for all I know."

"Thank you," says Dickey.

"You're welcome," says Daniels.
He's free to go.

That is all the defence has for the day, Mansfield says.

"We've got a number of witnesses lined up for Monday." 

The neighbours would say hello when they saw each other on the beach, Daniels says.
They'd see each other four, five six times a year, he says.

Daniels says he'd normally go to Rings Beach on weekends and long weekends.

He says the bach owners got to know each other "reasonably wellish".

"You seem like somebody who likes to have a yarn or a chat?" Mansfield notes.

"Yep."

The jury filters back into court, watched intently by the about 70 people in the public gallery.

Ron Mansfield KC calls David Martin Daniels.

He lives in Greenhithe, Auckland, and is a mechanic. Daniels' wife and sisters have a bach at Rings Beach, Coromandel, bought around the same time Polkinghorne and Hanna bought theirs. They are neighbours in the small beachside settlement.

Did Daniels get to know Polkinghorne and Hanna? Mansfield asks.

"Yep," says Daniels.

"Did you have a few things in common?" asks Mansfield.

"Yeah, we're accident prone," he says.

Court is about to resume and the public are filtering back into the gallery to watch the evidence of the sixth and final defence witness of the day.

Dickey mentions Hanna's friend, Margaret White, who earlier told the court Hanna was working well and committed to the South Auckland community.
Reid agrees, but says it was an enormous role, and again says that Hanna expressed that she was struggling in January 2021.

"I don't find a disconnect there necessarily."

Stuart asks if Reid was someone Hanna could confide in.

"Yes, and I believe she knew that," Reid said.

That ends the evidence of Anglican priest Gillian Reid, the fifth defence witness.

Ron Mansfield KC says the next witness is 10 minutes or so away, so the court takes a break.

Prosecutor Brian Dickey cross-examines Reid.

She confirms that at the January 2021 meeting, Hanna felt overworked, stressed and not happy.

Dickey refers to an earlier witness, Hanna's boss  Sarah Prentice, who said Hanna was proud of her work and was performing at a high level right before she died.

Reid says she can only comment on what she was like in January, and things may have improved over the next few months.

Dickey then refers to Alison Ring, a friend of Polkinghorne, who said Hanna had told her she was coping well, felt she was helping the community and enjoyed the challenge.

Reid repeats that in January 2021, Hanna had expressed she was struggling. What she said in the relaxed environment of Rings Beach may not be the same as what she said in Auckland to friends or colleagues there, says Reid.