MAREO CASE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 197, 21 August 1942, Page 6

MAREO CASE

INQUIRY SOUGHT

TWO PETITIONS SIGNED

(By Telegraph.— Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

Two petitions praying for an inquiry into the Mareo case were presented in the House of Representatives yesterday and were referred direct to the Statutes Revision Committee Eric Mareo, a musician, of Auckland, was twice found guilty of murdering his wife, Thelma Mareo, and at the second trial in Tune 1936, was sentenced to death. This' sentence was subsequently commuted to life imprisonment and Mareo has since been a prisoner in the Auckland gaol. The first petition was presented bv Mr Schramm (Government, Auckland East). It was signed by Mr. Bruce Perry, Mr. R. M Algie, Dr F J. Gwynne, Dr. E. J. Cronin, Mr Douglas Robb, all of Auckland, and Mr. T. J. Fleming, solicitor, of Manurewa. The petition said that since the completion of the second trial inquiries had been made in England with a view to ascertaining whether any fresh light could be thrown on the evidence given at the two trials, particularly with reference to the administration of veronal, and all the relative papers were sent to England by the accused's solicitor. On May 20, 1941, Mr. Maurice M. Smith, solicitor, of London, acting on behalf of Mareo, consulted Sir William Willcox. M.D., D.F.R.C.P., the recognised specialist on veronal poisoning, and handed him all the relevant papers in connection with the trials. Expert's Report On July 4, 1941, the petition proceeded, Sir William Willcox signed his report on the matter, expressing the opinion that Mrs. Mareo did not die of veronal poisoning. Two days later Sir William became ill and sudsequently died. "In view of the opinion expressed in this report," the petition concluded, "your petititioners humbly pray that further consideration be given to the whole case by the Government., either by appointing a Select Committee of medical men to inquire into and report on the whole case or by extending the clemency of the Crown to the imprisoned man."

Mr. Anderton (Government, Eden) presented the second petition, which was signed by Messrs. A. S. Peterson and T. E. Skinner, of Auckland, president and secretary respectively of the New Zealand Musicians' Union. In their petition they expressed the view that there was good reason to believe that the prisoner was innocent and the convictions an error. They asked that an inquiry be made into the question of guilt or innocence of the prisoner.