THE MAREO CASE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22904, 11 June 1936, Page 6

THE MAREO CASE

REHEARING OF MURDER TRIAL

FURTHER MEDICAL EVIDENCE

(Per United Press Association)

, AUCKLAND, June 10,

When the trial of Eric Mareo, of murdering his wife entered its ninth day. Dr S, L. Ludbrook gave evidence corroborating the evidence given by Dr Gilmour and Dr Gunson.

He said that from the evidence given he had come to the conclusion that Mrs Mareo died from veronal poisoning, and that she probably had about 100 grains of veronal,' taken at different times. Witness considered that a dose was taken on the Saturday morning. Her reported symptoms throughout the Sunday and Monday were consistent with the effects pf a further dose. He considered that from the time she fell asleep after going to the lavatory until the arrival of Dr Dreadon she was in a continuous coma. She possibly had three 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 she could have taken 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 already had some veronal in her system. Replying to Mr O’Leary, witness said he had not listened to hie (Mr O’Leary’s) cross-examination of F’reda Stark.

Mr O’Leary: Why did you not listen to it?

Witness; I formed my opinions on the evidence-in-chief of Miss Stark and listened to your cross-examination of her at the last trial. ■ Mr O’Leary: And have you not done me the courtesy of listening to my crossexamination on this occasion? Witness: I have read part of it, but cannot give you any particular answer that Freda Stark gave you. > Witness agreed that whereas ho had said during his evidence that Mrs Mareo was awake from four to four hours and a-half 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’cjpck on the night of Mrs Mareo s death. Replying to his questions, Mareo said he had bought three lots of veronal from chemists within the previous three weeks. Witness asked him if he had given his wife any, and Mareo replied: "Do you think lam a murderer? The. accused said ho had got veronal for sleeplessness. and remarked to the detective; "Do I look like a drug addict? When the court resumed this afternoon Detective-sergeant Meiklejohn told bow Mareo had made comments while be 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 ail 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. You know what I mean. Statements made by Mareo to the police dealing with the purchase «t Veronal were next read by Detectivesergeant Meiklejohn. Recounting further investigations, witness said that on Mav 20 he found on an ash heap at the, back of the house in Tenterden avenue the burnt portion of an insurance policy with the name “ Thelma ” and the policy number. Visits miade to Mareo at various tim.es were described, and statements made by him were read by 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 rend the warrant to him charging him with the murder of his wife Mareo said, _ Really ? On what evidence? This is ridiculous. What evidence have you got? ” The hearing was adjourned.