THE MAREO TRIAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 163, 11 June 1936, Page 2

THE MAREO TRIAL

MORE MEDICAL EVIDENCE. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 10. When the Marco trial entered its ! ninth day to-day, Dr S. L. Ludbrook gave evidence corroborating the evidence given by Drs Gilmour and Gunson. He said that from the evidence given ho had conic to the conclusion that Mrs Marco died of veronal poisoning and that she probably had about one hundred grains of veronal, taken at different times. Witness considered a doso was taken on tho Saturday morning. Her reported symptoms throughout the Sunday and the Monday were consistent with tho cflccts of a further dose. Ho considered that from the time she fell asleep after going to the lavatory until the arrival oi Dr Dreadon she was in a continuous coma and possibly had throe doses. There may have been one on the Friday night, one on the Saturday morning and one early on the Sunday morning, probably just before the lavatory incident. Possibly she had only two doses and none on the Friday night. From the evidence’ he did not think it possible that she could have taken the veronal herself between the time she awoke and the time she called Freda Stark on the Saturday evening. A further dose would have produced sleep very rapidly, for she had already had some veronal in her system. Replying to Mr H. F. O’Leary (for the defence) witness said lie had not listened to Mr O’Leary’s cross-examin-I ation of Freda Stark.

Mr O’Leary: Why did you not listen to it?—l formed my opinions on the evidence in chief of Miss Stark and listened to your cross-examination ol her at the last trial. Mr O’Leary: And you have not done me the courtesy of listening to my cross-examination on this occasion? — I have read part of it, but cannot give you any particular answer that Freda Stark gave you. Witness agreed that, whereas he had said during his evidence that Mrs Mareo was awake from four to four and a-half hours on the Saturday night, his estimate at the previous trial was two hours.

Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn described in detail his activities in the Mareo home when he arrived there about 8 o’clock on the night of Mrs Marco’s death. Replying to hits questions, Mareo had said he had bought three lots of veronal from chemists within the previous three weeks. Witness had asked him if he had given his wife any and Mareo had replied “Do you think T am a murderer?” Accused had said he had got the veronal for sleeplessness, and remarked to the detective “Do I look like a drug addict ?” Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn told how Mareo had made comments while he was reading a statement he had made. He said : “I feel like a cad saving all this about my wife, but I have to protect myself.” He also said: “Is there anything in this to hang me? I feel like going and hanging myself bringing till this veronal into the house.” . Another statement Mareo made verbally was : “I do not want this to go down, but between us my wife was fonder of women than of men. \ou know what I mean.” Statements made by Mareo to the polico, dealing with the purchase of veronal were next read by DetectiveSergeant Meiklejohn. Recounting further investigations, witness said that on 'May 20 he found on an ash heap at tho back of the house in Tenterden Avenue a burnt portion of an insurance policy with the name “Thelma” and the policy number. Visits made to Mmeo at various times were described and statements made by him read bv witness. “He described the arrest of Mareo at Eleanor Brownlee’s room in Wynyard Street on September 2 by himself and Detective Hamilton. When witness read the warrant to him charging linn with tho murder of his wife. Mareo said: “Really? On what evidence? This is ridiculous. What evidence have you get?” The hearing was adjourned.