MAREO RE-TRIAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 149, 9 June 1936, Page 3

MAREO RE-TRIAL

Pathologist’s View as to Cause of Death MORE DOSES THAN ONE By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 8. A pathologist’s opinion of the cause of the death of Thelma Clarice Mareo was given at the Supreme Court to-day, when the retrial of Eric Mareo entered the second week. Dr. Gilmour’s opinion was that Mrs Mareo had died from an overdose of veronal and that the drug had. probably been administered more than once. The prosecution is being conducted by the Crown Prosecutor, Mr V. E. Meredith, and with him is Mr F. McCarthy. The defence is again in the hands of Mr H. F. O’Leary, K.C., of Wellington, supported by Mr T. Henry and Mr K. C. Aekins. Dr. Walter Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital, described the results of a post-mortem examination which ho carried out on the body of Mrs Mareo. He found no evidence of any disease and the appendix was healthy. Witness said that, having examined the organs of the body, he had heard the evidence of Freda Stark and Griffin, and knowing that of Graham Mareo, he concluded that death was due to poisoning by veronal. “The fatal dos-* is commonly 100 to 150 grains,’’ continued “Fifty grains is put down as the average minimum fatal dose. Recovery has peen recorded from as large a dose as 360 grains. Ij this case there was very thorough treatment. In my opinion Mrs Marco had more than one dose. I infer this from the description of her condition on the Saturday morning when she was found out of bed mentally confused and unable to stand or walk and talking in an incoherent manner in front of the dressing tabic. Her condition was due either to the fact that she was recovering from an overdose taken on Friday night or they may have been preliminary symptoms following an overdose on Saturday morning. The happenings on Saturday night indicated ouito dearly that she was recovering from an overdose of veronal.’’ At this stage she would undoubtedly have recovered if she he,! been treated, and witness believed that she would have recovered without treatment. The sleeping of Mrs Marco al! through Saturday was accounted for in Dr. Gilmour’s opinion by a dose taken on Saturday morning. Then, her falling asleep again after waking on Saturday night could only have been accounted for by a further dose. From Freda Stark’s account, the doctor considered that this dose was given in the milk. From the quantities estimated by Griffin, Dr. Gilmour drew the inference that Mrs Mareo had had a fatal dose. He estimated that she had had, in all probability, at least 100 grains of veronal. Tl.e hearing was adjourned.