NEARING ITS CLOSE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 209, 17 June 1936, Page 6

NEARING ITS CLOSE

THE RIB-TRIAL 0F MAREO.

SUBMISSIONS BY THE GROWN. COUNSEL TRAVERSES EVIDENCE. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This 'Diay'n. Long,r queues of men and women awaited the opening of the doors of the Supreme Court when the retrial of Eric Mareo, on a charge of wife inurder, entered what is expected to be the last day. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr V. R. Meredith), resuming his address to the jury, said the case was clearly one of veronal poisoning. If Mrs Mareo took it herself it was either suicide or misadventure. If, on the other hand, it was administered intentionally by someone else the act involved that person in the crime of murder. The Mareo’s had been married only 18 months, and the bride had £SOO, of which the hus'band had dissipated S4OO. It would . be idle to say it was a happy marriage. 1 Three bitter quarrels were known of. One was the occasion when Marco went home from Dixieland drunk, After in-i dulgence in liquor restraint was lifted and his real state of mind Was indicated. Mareo abused his wife that night, and she replied that she would go out into the street if he would give her back her £SOO. Then there was the mental attitude of accused on the night he was driven home in a drunken condition by Eleanor Brownlee. It was clear that Miss Brownlee went that night with the intention of stopping, for she was equipped with her pyjamas. She must have gone at Mareo’s invitation. Later, Marco, in a semi-dressed condition, had ordered his Wife out and said, “Eleanor will look after me.”

Then there was Mareo’s accusation against his Wife of perversion. By this time he had no social relations with his wife, who had been entirely supplanted by Miss Brownlee.

Mr Meredith referred to 'Mrs Mareo’s brightness with Freda Stark on the Friday night, and her request to come early next day. That was the picture of Mrs Marco. But What of Marco? Counsel then outlined the incident of the” writing and han-rh'mg of a morbid letter to Betty concerning her parentage.

Mr hieredith- lengthily described the incidents during the fatal week-end, and, touching on the incident of giving milk, said Dr. Givesen agreed that Mareo’s subsequent sleeplessness, together with the fact that he couldn’t be roused, was consistent with hla-reo having had a dose of veronal before the time that Mrs Mareo was taken to the lavatory. Dr. Giesen agreed also that the condition of Mrs Mareo was consistent with a dose of veronal being taken just before she went to the lavatory. “Now, gentlemen,” said Mr Meredith, “you get this startling position. Just before the milk was prepared they apparently were both free from the influence of veronal. So you have it that at 'the same time two different rpeople, both showing signs of Veronal—if Mrs Mateo got it at that time—got it in only‘ one way. It definitely must have been in the milk. Who had veronal in his possession at that time ?—Mareo Who was out in. the kitchen preparing the milk ?——Mareo. Then, taking the evidence of Mureo going under the influence, what possible inference can you draw but that when Mareo prepared: the milk he put veronal in it; took some himself and gave his wife a fatal dose. -

Mr Meredith concluded his address at 12.20 p.m. . The Jud-’ge Summing Up. “We are all human,” said his Honor, commencing his summing-up to the jury, “and whatever efforts we make We are likely to err in handling the great amount of material in this case. If I should mistake anything it is your right and duty to help and correct me.” His Honor said it was for the prosecution to satisfy them beyond doubt that the charge had been (proved. The jury would approach the matter with the same earnestness and degree as though their own lives depended on the right answer. The whole case had to be tried to the jury’s satisfaction on the evidence at this trial} as though Mareo had never been tried before.

The Judge had not; completed his summing-up when, the Court adjourn—ed for luncheon.