TRIAL OF MAREO

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 149, 9 June 1936, Page 7

TRIAL OF MAREO

Pathologist’s Views About Veronal QUESTIONS BY COUNSEL (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 9. This nwrning Mr. O’Leary closely cross-examined Dr. Gilmour (pathologist) on the conclusions drawn by him from the evidence of Freda Stark in the trial of Erie Mareo on a charge of murdering his wife, Thelma Marco. Witness said that ho knew there were eases of what was known as automatism in regard to veional. Mr. O’Leary: Ono layman giving veronal to another is not the eame as one layman giving arsenic to another. —“No.” Dr. Gilmour said that ho hud not previously heard of a normal adult being murdered by veronal. He knew there had been cases of persons taking drugs and those in close association not knowing of it. In such cases the effects had sometimes been attributed to liquor. He thought it unlikely that Mrs. Mareo was a veronal addict. Mr. O’Leary: Assuming that it was proved to your satisfaction that for some period prior to 1933 and possibly later this lady was accustomed to taking veronal, would it alter the opinions you have expressed in this case?— “bio, because veronal differs from such drugs as morphia and cocaine in that an addict can be broken of tho habit of taking veronal without any craving continuing.” Dr. Gilmour added that it was not impossible, however, that a person might return to veronal. He knew Mareo had bought veronal for sleeplessness, and assuming that .Mrs. Mareo knew veronal and its uses and camo on its store, there was nothing to prevent her from taking