TO STAND TRIAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 302, 4 October 1935, Page 7

TO STAND TRIAL

ALLEGED WIFE MURDER.

CHARGE AGAINST MUSICIAN

(Per Press Association.) AUKLAND; October 3.

The hearing of the eharge against Eric Mareo, that he murdered his 29-year-old wife, Thelma Clarice Mareo, was concluded before Mr F. K. Hunt, in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. The accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.

The Crown case was conducted by Mr V. N. Hubble and Mr F. McCarthy, while Mr K. C. Aekins and Mr Trevor Henry appeared, for Mareo. Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn, continuing his evidence, said that when lie was taking the first statement, Mareo said: ‘ ‘I- don’t want this to go down, but between us, my wife was fonder of women than men. You know what I mean.”

.Witness said he found no small bottles which might have contained a brown mixture. When he was questioning Mareo'at his house on Good Friday his daughter Btetty arrived. She was introduced by the accused to the detectives. She kissed and hugged the accused. He said, “You will visit me at the prison, won’t you, Betty?” Betty said, “Of course.” The accused said to Miss Mareo, referring to her evidence at the opening of the inquest: “Why did you say all that about poor Thelma?” She said: “They told me, I had to, and I did it to protect you, Daddy.” Mareo said: “She shouldn’t have said so much.”

Witness read a long written statement of questions asked by the detectives and accused’s answers. Inter alia, lie stated that his wife had no property. She was insured for about £3O. Bliss Brownlee was a friend of his wife. They had not quarrelled to his knowledge. He had never suspected his wife of taking drugs. The accused had been using veronal tablets for three weeks, taking one nightly. He had also been drinking spirits. Miss Brownlee had slept on week nights at the house, and only one night at a time. He did not know this his wife objected to her coming to the house. When he married, his wife withdrew from the bank £4OO. The accused bank-

ed it, but it was all gone, mostly in a car and alcohol. Before coming to> New Zealand, said the accused, he had received £3OO from Irene Stone, who had shared the same flat in Sydney, this being repayment of a loan. Purchases of veronal. On April 24, continued witness, he called at Bliss Brownlee’s room in Wynvard Street, asking for Mareo. The accused, came to the door and was asked to come outside. He questioned him

about the purchases of veronal from chemists and Mareo said he had bought it from three chemists. Later he visited the accused’s flat at Waterloo quadrant, where, Blareo said, the last meal eaten by his wife was on the Friday night. With Detective Hamilton, he again interviewed Mareo on June 5 at Bliss 'Brownlee’s room, said Detective Bleiklejohn. In a further ■ signed statement Mareo said his wife suffered from her appendix and used to take paraffin. The only liquid his wife had had on the Saturday evening before her death was milk. He did not remember who prepared it; it might have been anyone in the house, including himself. He thought that it- was Sunday that Freda Stark first suggested getting a doctor. The first time it occurred to him that his wife was really ill was on the Monday. He was worried over his financial position. After leaving the theatre he was fairly heavily in debt

through losses in musical concerts. He had never slapped his wife’s face, and his wife andi his daughter got on amicably. On the afternoon of September 2, detectives arrested Mareo in a Wynyard Street room. Bliss Brownlee opened the door, but was asked to leave while tbje police read the warrant. Blareo said: “Really, on what evidence? This is ridiculous. What evidence have you?” Tea had been set for three, Blareo stating that his son Graham had just left. He asked Bliss Brownlee to telephone a solicitor. Detective Hamilton said he first went to Tenterden Avenue about 6 p.m. on April 15. Graham Blareo was the only one at home; but Miss (Stark arrived shortly after 7 p.m. Witness searched Mrs Mareo’s bedroom, and described what he found, corroborating the evidence of Detective-Sergeant Bleiklejohn. “From what I heard, I communicated with the Chief Detective, and at about 8 p.m. Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn and Detective BlcLean arrived,” said witness. When Graham Mareo told the accused that witness

was a detective, accused said: “I have had a double whisky and I have a bottle of brandy outside in a car, which will make me sleep to-night. 1 feel like doing myself in.” Witness told Mareo not to be silly. Corroborative Evidence, Detective Hamilton’s evidence was principally in corroboration of that given by Detective - Sergeant Meiklejohn. While searching accused’s room after his arrest, witness said he found 12 whisky bottles. He also said: “I feel a cad, saying all this; but I have got to protect myself”; and “Do you think they can do anything t° me?” Accused also said: “It looks bad, me being with her, but I have nothing to fear.” Later, said witness, he found two wine bottles and one ginger ale bottle. The last witness to be called was Detective McLean, who gave corroborative evidence. When Mareo was making a statement in the house the accused frequently commented. Witness heard him say: “Reading this through, I would just as quick go out and hang by my own hand.” “Alone with me,” the witness said: “Mareo said: ‘How do you think the case will go?’ 1 replied that I did not know, as we were only making inquiries.

This completed the evidence. “Very well,” said Mr F. K. Hunt. S.M. “The accused is committed to the Supreme Court for trial.” The accused had nothing to say in response to the' usual warning.