CERTAIN STEPS BEING TAKEN

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 250, 21 July 1942, Page 4

CERTAIN STEPS BEING TAKEN

Development In Mareo Case INTERVIEW WITH COUNSEL FOR PRISONER “Certain steps are being taken, but I am not at liberty for the present to disclose what they are,” said Mr. 11. F. O’Leary, K.C., to ‘‘The Dominion” yesterday' when he was interviewed regarding the Auckland message that the late Sir William Willcox, K.C.1.E., C. 8., C.M.G., M.D., F.R.C.P., London, consulting physician to St. Mary’s Hospital and consulting medical adviser to His Majesty’s Home Office on toxicological cases, was of the opinion that Mrs. Thelma Mareo died of veronal pneumonia, the drug being selfadministered. Eric Mareo, busband of Mrs. Mareo, was twice tried for murder, found guilty, and sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Mr. O’Leary, with Mr. T. Henry and Mr. K. C. Aekins, appeared for Mareo at his trials. He said yesterday that lie had been conferring with Mareo’s solicitors. The report of Sir William Willcox was a very valuable cue. He could say nothing more meantime. How Report Was Obtained. Sir William Willcox was consulted in London in May, 1941, at the instance of Mareo’s relatives in New Zealand, by Mr. M. M. Smith, a New Zealander now practising in London. Sir William “very carefully” read the full report of the first trial and information of Jhe second, including a full record of the evidence of Dr E. W. Giesen. He submitted his report dated July 4, 1941, but two days later became ill and died on July 8. A photostat copy was made of his report and signed by him. . . The report expresses the opinion that during the last three weeks of her life Mrs. Mareo must have been taking barbitone regularly and probably became an addict. According to Sir William the mental condition of Mrs. Mareo as described by Dr. W. H. Walton “would make the taking of some powerful sedative such as veronal a necessity, and if the drug was available (as appears from the evidence) it was probably taken to soothe the excited nervous condition. The veronal habit would follow at once. . . . There were two important factors to bear in mind, states the report. First that Thelma Mareo had no medical treatment to eliminate the poison from her body. Second, at the post-mortem, * veronal pneumonia” was found by Dr. Walter Gilmour. ■ . An opinion on the Mareo trial was given on October 4, 1940, by Mr. E. G. Hemmerde, K.C., Recorder for Liverpoo,, and acknowledged to be one of the two greatest British criminal lawyers of today, the other being Mr. Norman Birkett, K.O. Mr. Hemmerde states in part: “I have read the reports of. both trials with great care and my considered opinion is that there is a grave danger that there nas been a serious miscarriage of justice. He gives his reasons for taking this view. History of Trials. Mrs. Mareo died at her home, Mount Eden, Auckland, on April 15, 1935, aged 29. Her husband, then 45, was arrested on September 2, 1935. His first trial for the murder of his wife began on February 17, 1935. On February 26 the jury returned a verdict of guilty. Asked if he had anything to say, Mareo stated: “Nothing to say against it, only it seems to me, after the .evidence, which has been most just in every way,, and after the judge's direction to the jury, that their verdict is a travesty of justice. The death sentence was then passed. A second trial was granted on the grounds that fresh evidence bad been discovered. This began on June 1, 1936. No evidence for the defence was called at the first trial, but at the second several witnesses were called, including three from Australia. In his address, Mr. O’Leary submitted that there was an automatic taking of .veronal by Mrs. Mareo and that she took a dose from which she died. The verdict was again one of guilty and Mareo was sentenced to death, the sentence subsequently being commuted to life imprisonment.

In answer to an inquiry last night, the Minister of Justice, Mr. Mason, stated that he had received a copy of Sir William Wilcox’s report as to the death of Mrs. Mareo. An application in respect of it was expected from Mareo’s solicitor, and iu view of that fact consideration of the matter was in abeyance.