DEATH OF WIFE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 8, 4 October 1935, Page 12

DEATH OF WIFE

Murder Charge Against Husband TO STAND TRIAL Detective’s Story of Arrest of Accused Dominion Special Service. Auckland, October 3. Details of the arrest of Eric Mareo, the Auckland musician, aged 44. charged before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., with wife murder, were given by Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn in evidence at the Magistrate’s Court liearing to-day. When the detective read over the warrant to Mareo, charging him with murder, accused said; “Really! on what evidence? This is ridiculous; what evidence have you got?” Mareo, who was ar rested at the flat of Miss Brownlee, said they were just on their way to the pictures. Five further statements made by Mareo to detectives before his arrest were read to the court by Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn. The hearing of evidence was concluded, and Mareo was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. When the bearing was resumed this morning Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn continued his evidence, lu connection with the taking of 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.” “When we were about to leave accused thanked us for our treatment of him,” he said. Witness next went to Marco's house ou Good Friday, April 19, with Detective McLean and saw accused. A little iater Miss Mareo came into the house. “She was admitted to the front room and introduced by Mareo to Detective McLean and me. She kissed and hugged accused. He said to her, after looking at us: ‘You will visit me at prison, won’t you, Betty?’ She said: ‘Of course, daddy.’ Accused said to Miss Mareo, referring to the evidence she had given at the inquest, ‘Why did you say all that about poor Thelma?’ She said: ‘They told me that I had to and I did it to protect you, daddy.’ Mareo said she should not have said so much.” Witness went on to complete the statement; abused gave answers and saw witness writing them down. He then carefully read over both questions and answers, and Mareo said that they were correct. Witness again made inquiries from chemist shops in the city. Inquiries About Veronal. On April 24 he went to Miss Brownlee’s room at Wynyard Street. She opened the door and witness asked for Mareo. He came to the door and was asked to come outside. “I asked him certain particulars and told him I had been making inquiries from chemists and had. located one shop where he had bought veronal tablets. I told accused I would have to bring up his name at all chemists in the city and suburbs if he would not disclose where he had purchased veronal. He said If that were the case he would tell me where he made purchases. He said he bought two lots from a chemist near the Town Hall. I asked him to write down in my notebook purchases other than the one I told him about. This he did and I produce the note. This referred to two chemist shops, although he led me to believe lie bought them from three chemists. “On May 8, at the request of the Government analyst, I went to Waterloo Quadrant and saw accused,” the detective continued. “I told him the analyst wanted, to know what the last meal was that Mrs. Mareo had eaten. Graham Mareo was in the room at that time. Accused could not remember, but he later rang me at the detective office and said he remembered the last meal his wife had had was fish and chips on the Friday night bought by Graham. He said he had supplied the meal after it had been heated up. He said as far as he could remember she had eaten the meal. “On May 20 Detective Hamilton and I made a further search of the house in Tenterden Avenue. The house was unoccupied. In a rubbish heap I found the remains of .a burnt life insurance policy. I took possession of the'contents of the kitchen grate and ashpan.”. Arrest of Accused. The final meeting with Mareo was on September 2, the day of his arrest. "Shortly after 2 p.m., Detective Hamilton and I went to Wynyard Street,” said witness. “Miss Brownlee opened the slpor and I asked for Mareo. He came forward aud we went inside. I asked Miss Brownlee to leave for a couple of minutes. I told Mareo we wanted to see him for two minutes. Miss Brownlee left. Accused said, ‘Have you heard anything?’ I said, ‘Yes, we have. I have got something here which I will read to you.’ ‘ “Accused sat down on an armchair near the bed. I pulled out the warrant from my pocket and said, ‘I have a warrant here charging you that on April 15 you did murder Thelma Clarice Mareo.’ He said, ‘Really! On what evidence? This is ridiculous; what evidence have you got?’

“Detective Hamilton'thcn gave accused the usual warning aud I searched him. When we got in the room in the first place I saw there was a small table set for a meal for three. Ou my looking at it be said, ‘Graham has just been in for a meal and has gone to work.’ On searching accused, Mareo said, ‘Can I ring up my solicitor, Mr. ’Aekins?’ I said, ‘Certainly.’ He said. ‘We were jiist going to tbe pictures.’ Mareo asked Miss Brownlee to ring Mr. Aekins and to come and see him (accused). He also asked her to tell Graham when he came home. Accused was then taken to the police station and charged.” This concluded the detective-ser-geant’s evidence. Following are extracts from statements made by Mareo and put in by the detective-sergeant: “My wife did not leave any will, as site had nothing to leave. I was worried over my financial position after leaving the theatre and I am pretty heavily in debt through the loss on the musical concerts and ‘The Duchess of Danzig’ production. Al! my wife’s clothes I gave to. Freda Stark except the nightdress which she was wearing when she died, which was washed by the hospital authorities and which I burned on that date, April 16. for sentimental reasons.” Defective Hamilton then gave evidence. 1 This concluded the case, and Mateo was formally committed for trial, 1