MAREO RE-TRIAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 11 June 1936, Page 8

MAREO RE-TRIAL

CASE FOR THE CROWN DETECTIVE GIVES EVIDENCE (B.v Telegraph— I’rc.-s Association) AUCKLAND, 10th June. The hearing of evidence for the Crown at the retrial of -Eric Mareo. charged with murdering his who, Thelma Clarice Mareo, was continued in the Supreme Court to-day. Mr Justice Cailan is presiding. The Crown case is being conducted by Mr V. R. Meredith and Mr F. McCarthy, while the defence is again being conducted by Mr H. F. O’Leary. K.C. (Wellington) and Messrs Trevor Henrqy and K. C. Aekins. In further evidence Detective-Ser-geant Meiklejohn told how Mareo had made comments while he was reading a statement he had made. He said: “I feel like a cad saying 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 all this veronal into the house.” Another statement Mareo made verbally was: “I do not. want this to go down, but between us my wife war fonder of women ffian oi men. You know what I mean.” Statements made by Mareo to the police, dealing with the purchase ot veronal were next read by DetectiveSergeant Meiklejohn. Recounting further investigations, wetness said that on 20th May he found on an ash heap at the 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 Mareo at various times were described and statements made by him read by witness. He described the arrest of Mareo at Eleanor Brownlee’s room in Wynyard street on 2nd September by himself and Detective Hamilton. When wit' nesS read the warrant to him charging him with the murder of his wife. Mareo said: “Really? On what evidence? This is ridiculous. What ev: deuce have you got?” The hearing was adjourned. THE PROSECUTION COMPLETED EVIDENCE THIS MORNING AUCKLAND, This Day. The last evidence for the prosecution was given in the Mareo trial this morning. 1 Detective Hamilton corroborate c» Detective IVEeiklojohn’s account of Ihe interview with Mareo on the nighty of his wife’s death. Accused said: “I’ve had a double whisky and have got a bottle of brandy in the car to make me sleep to-night. I feel like doing myself in.” When reading his state meat over accused said: “Dr you think there is anything in this to hang me?” _ Cross-examined by Mr Aekins, Detective Hamilton said that while giving his first statement accuser! saio quite often in an affectionate way: “Poor darling;” and “Poor dear.”^ To his Honour witness said that Mareo was perfectly sober at the time he gave his" first statement, although he said that he had just had a double whisky. “Under the circumstances I expected to see him mine more excited than he was,” witness added. , „ . .. Replying to Mr Meredith, Detective Hamilton said that Mareo showed excitability when he was asked if he had given his wife veronal. The last witness for the Crown, Detective J. B. McLean, gave corroborative evidence. He added that when accused was reading his first statement he said: “Reading this thms through I would just as quickly go out and hang by my own hand. After Mr Henry’s cross-examina-tion Mr Meredith announced that the prosecution was completed. Replying to his Honour, Mr O Leary said that he intended to call the witnesses for the defence. CASE FOR DEFENCE OPENED Opening the case for the defence Mr O’Leary asked the jury not to be influenced by the fact that the Court of Appeal did not grant a new trial. There was no new evidence before the Court of Appeal, but the Executive Council had before it new evidence—which the jury would hear —and granted a new trial. “There is no doubt Mrs Mareo died of veronal poisoning,” said Mr O’Leary. “The question is, how did the vernoal get into her body? Did she take it herself? Did Mareo give it to her? Did Thelma Stark give it to' her? Did Graham Mareo give it to her? From these four alternatives the Crown selects one — that Eric Mareo was responsible for his wife’s death.” Mareo in all his statements had denied giving veronal to his wife. The most likely of the four alternatives was that Mrs Mareo took it herself either by accident or desire, either by misadventure or with the intention of bringing about her death. The defence suggested that she had a medicinal dose on Friday and certainly a dose on Saturday morning, and that on Saturday night she got up, or perhaps did not get' up, and that she took a dose, all that was available. The defence contended that it was not necessary for her to have a dose on Saturday night, and they would call Dr. Pagett, who would tell of a case in Taranaki where the sufferer had taken veronal, went into a coma and later roused, to lapse subsequently again and die without having any more veronal, much to the surprise of medical men interested in the case.