ALLEGED MURDER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 114, 25 February 1936, Page 6

ALLEGED MURDER

EVIDENCE AGAINST MAREO. THE CROWN CASE CONCLUDED. CONVERSATIONS RECALLED. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day. Proceedings to-day moved more rapidly in the trial of Eric Mareo on a charge of wife murder. The Police witnesses were disposed of sooner than was expected, thus paving the way for the commencement of counsel’s addresses. The Court was again crowded. Mareo at various stages smilingly chatted with leading counsel for the defence (Mr O’Leary). The cross-examination of DetectiveSergeant Meiklejohn was concluded in half an hour, and his re-examination two minutes later. The foreman of the jury asked: “When Mareo said, ‘Do you think I am a murderer,’ what was the exact conversation.” The Judge, replying, read a page of the evidence referriing to the conversation, in the course of which Mr Meiklejohn asked Mareo how his wife came to have so much veronal. It was then that Mareo replied ‘Do you think I am a murderer.’ Detective Hamilton corroborated the evidence given by Detective Meiklejohn. When witness was alone iii the front room with Mareo on the night of his wife’s death, accused said: “I have had a double whisky, and I have a bottle of brandy in the car to make me sleep to-night. I feel like doing myself in.” Witness told accused not to be silly. When lie mentioned his wife’s drinking, Mareo said “I feel like a cad saying all this about the poor dear, but I have got to protect myself.”