MURDER TRIAL

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21714, 22 February 1936, Page 7

MURDER TRIAL

♦ HEARING CONTINUED AT AUCKLAND EXPERT MEDICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE CROWN (PBBSB ASSOCIATION TBLEGBAM.) AUCKLAND, February 21. For the fifth day of the trial of Eric Mareo, aged 44, a musician, on a charge of having murdered his wife last April, the public portion of- the Supreme Court was again crowded. Queues of men and women had awaited the opening of the doors. The Crown easels being conducted by Mr A. H. Johnstone, K.C., of Auckland, assisted by Mr V. N. Hubble and the defence is being conducted by Mr H F. O'Leary, K.C., of Wellington, agisted by Mr Trevor Henry and Mr K M?'H^bble S infomed Mr Fair that counsel for the defence had decided, instead of calling five witnesses concerning the Production of a jnattress as an exhibit, that the depositions of those witnesses would be read in court. The mattress was in. an anteroom and would be produced if tequired. ~_. Mr O'Leary concurring, this course was followed. ?! .. »»«««„, ■ The next witness. Kenneth Massey •Griffin. Government Analyst, gave details of tests. "I examined the organs for poison and found veronal to be present," he said. that he had recovered m the brain 2.35 grains, in the liver, kidneys, and spleen 2.60, and in the stomach content 0.4. From a stained sheet he, had ered 4.33 grains. The total amount recovered was 14.78 grains. .

Experiments With Milk Cross-examined by Mr O'Leary, Mr Griffin said that he could find no miiK in the stomach. He experimented and found that veronal would dissolve in half a cup of milk either warm or cold. Six tablets dissolved in warm milk in about five minutes. Witness knew that one authority stated that veronal should never be given in solid form or in milk. He knew-that-ver-onal would be readily soluble in sal volatile. A normal person might take veronal without tasting it,, but he thought they would taste it. . Mr O'Leary: I am informed that the average lethal dose is 50 grains..

Witness: That is so. Mr O'Leary: Can you say if the average lethal dose was taken?-Ye£ but I would prefer to leave that to the medical witnesses. What quantity of milk would be required to dissolve 100 *rains?-I experimented and found that eight tablets could be dissolved in a cupful of milk To dissolve more would mane the milk "half-porridgey." ■ The foreman of the jury: What colour would the milk be if heavily impregnated with veronal?—There would be no colour. A change in thickness would be noticeable, but not of colour. This-would be caused by the starch in the tablets. ■ . ■ ■ ■ „^ naea At his Hdnour's request witness agreed to carry out further experiments in the dissolution of veronal in milk.

Pathologist's Evidence Dr. Walter Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital detailed the post* mortem examination. All appearances indicated an overdose of an hypnotic drug. There was no eyidSce of any disease. ■ The appendix was healthy. His conclusion was that death was due to veronal poisoning. A person taking veronal would fall asleep about half an hour later remaining asleep about six or eight hours. H a heavier dose were taken, deep sleep would probably be followed by coma. Referring to the happen ngsi on the Saturday night before death, the witness said these indicated quite clearly that Mrs Mareo was recovering from a dose. She was able to awake on her own account, and ask for a drink of water. There could be no doubt that- treatment at that stage would have brought about her complete recovery. Her falling asleep could only be accounted for by another dose, of veronal. From the description of.her condition that night, * w ° u * d rt ,K been impossible for her to get out.of bed, and even had. she been jithm easy reach, he. thought it would have been impossible for her to take veronal hTrself. The amount >of veronal extracted by the analyst indicated that Mrs Mareo hadhadl .ai fatal dose Dr. Gilmour estimated that she had probably had at least 100 grains. Tolerance to Drugs "Tolerance to veronal is not developed in those who take it regularly?' Dr. Gilmour said. "Tolerance means that one becomes gradually able to take larger doses without suffering undue effects. A notable, example is morphia. Such tolerance is .never acquired in the case of veronal. The habitual taker is no »» e .«n™J£« from a fatal dose than one who takes it for the first time." No evidence oJ alcoholism was disclosed in his post-morte™ f*ammation of Mrs Mareo, said witness. JThis did not exclude the possibility of it, but if she had been drinking two bottles of sherry daily 'the conditions found at the post-mortem were not consistent with this. The symptoms described bv Graham,Mareo and Freda Stark were not consistent with alcoholism. Dr. Gilmour said death from veronal poisoning was generally due t° misadventure. Suicide would be a good second, but murder "by veronal Poisoning was rare. He did not know of a norma! adult havmg been murderedThere was no recorded case, but tnere were one or two suspected cases. Mr O'Leary: There is * recorded case of 10 grains having killed a person?— That would not be due to veronal alone. , . -~ , There is a recorded case of a recovery from a dose of 360 grains?-^j T ft t would be possible to "administerj 360 grains without fatal effects m some cases, yet a dose of 50 grains might prove fatal?— Yes. . . So then it is a very uncertain murderer's weapon?— Yes. It is. ttf What might be a fatal dose person might not be fatal to another? and deaths + occur from misadventure when the takers of veronal do not realises their_suseeptibility to the drug?~Yes. There are people who do not know they are susceptible. <

Solubility Discussed Mr O'Leary then questioned the witness about veronal being soluble in milk. It was not well known that it was more soluble in milk than in water he said. Dr. Gilmour knew of no reason why veronal should not be given in milk, As was s?«g est ** *$ .one authority, the milk would curdle, and if that happened the veronal would take longer to pass into the blood stream. His opinion was that Mrs Mareo had a dose early on Saturday, and that she had another dose half an hour before going into her final sleep. He thought that she must have had between 20 and so grains in the morning. p» *f W night she might have had up to M grlins. He believed that all told she must have had about 100 grains.. After a long series of questions on the amount of veronal taken tag' Mrs Mareo, Mr O'Leary suggested to■ Dr. Gilmour that she could not possibly have had anything like 80 grains, especially as about 10 grains were Recovered. Dr. Gilmour contended that his. estimate was correct, and pointed out that it was imnossible for «v analyst to have recovered completely tne veronal ffart was distributed over the, bedclothes and mattress tw^etßecorded cases were 7 quoted and compared' with the Mrs Mareo on Saturday W* -FT* Gilmour said his opinions, w»i#;. tered by anything that had oeea adjourned' until 1 toW-; row. *