MAREO’S RE-TRIAL.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13285, 17 June 1936, Page 5

MAREO’S RE-TRIAL.

DEFENCE EVIDENCE CLOSED.

COUNCIL ADDRESSES COURT

Electric Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, Last Night. The Court was crowded this morning when evidence for the defence in the Mareo re-trial was concluded with the completion of the crossexamination of Dr. Giesen.

DEFENCE COUNSEL'S ADDRESS. Counsel for the defence, Mr O’Leary, K.C., addressing the jury, asked them to consider what would be the end of tho trial for the man in the dock charged with murder the penalty of which they knew. YVould he be free to return to his children and his friends or would he return to the cell where he had been incarcerated ? Veronal was not a mux derer’s weapon, counsel went on. The records showed that deaths from veronal in the case of adults rose in the main from misadventure and suicide. What might kill one person might have little or no effect on another A person setting out to murder by veronal could have no idea as to how much to give. The Crown selected the possibility that Mareo had given veronal to Mrs Mareo. He did it, the Crown said, at a time when Mr and Mrs Mareo were said to be happy and when Freda Stark was present. The defence contended that the most likely alternative was that Mrs Mareo by accident or design took the veronal herself. It was most likely and most consistent that she had had some innocently on Friday night, that on Saturday she got up after the manner of persons under the influence of veronal, or even without getting up, and took the store of veronal and that was what killed her.

Mr O’Leary dealt next with the relations between Marco and Eleanor Brownlee. He spoke of the quarrel which took place after the Dixieland party when Miss Brownlee brought Mareo home drunk. That in itself was an indication that there was nothing improper between them. A man did not bring liis mistress into the bosom of his family when he was allegedly murdering this woman. Mareo was drafting a letter to 'J. C. Williamson. Limited, asking them to take over “The Duchess of Dantzig,” the play in which his wife played the leading part. Thelma Mareo was essential to Mareo’s future projects and yet the jury was asked to believe that he had murdered her. It might be suggested that Miss Brownlee was to take Mrs Mareo’s place, but she was not an actress.

“To procure veronal Mareo went to chemists who knew him,” said Mr O’Leary. “He told the detectives he was taking veronal and told others lie knew he was taking it. Are those the actions of a guilty men? Would be not have got rid of the stuff had lie been guilty? All Marco’s actions in regard to the veronal were frank and were certainly not those of a guilty man. As soon as his wife died ho candidly admitted possession of veronal. He never hesitated. He thought that his wife’s condition was due to the medicine he had given her and he was not candid about the medicine because he thought lie had committed an offence. I ask you to contrast bis octions over the corrective medicine and his action regarding the veronal. On the one hand he was candid,, truthful and straightforward and oh the other he was not.” DEFENC E EVIDENCE ATTACKED Mr Meredith, in addressing tlie jury, attacked the defence evidence. “I am going to put it to you,” said Mr Meredith, “that the evidence has no-bearing or practically none on this case. The whole case now depends on the careful consideration of the incidents from the Friday night to the Monday afternoon when Thelma Mareo died. It was surprising that it was necessary to bring people from Australia to prove Mrs Mareo’s drinking habits. There should have been plenty of people in New Zealand and in Auckland who knew her intimately. People who knew her in Australia and performed with her there said they knew nothing of these * accusations. Dr. Giesen, who was called for the defence, put up a most amazing proposition. He was a man who had admittedly studied tlie case from tlie outset and he advised tlie defence that everyone was wrong, but he did not come to the last trial and give evidence and it was only now that he got into tlie firing line. Dr. Giesen’s theory was a contradiction of several reputable men wlio gave their evidence with certainty and who were supported by textbooks. Surely out of thousands of medical men in New Zealand there *nu.vo have been some who would have come forward in the interests of justice to support Dr Giesen.” Mr Meredith had not finished when the Court adjourned.