MAREO TRIAL

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 47, 26 February 1936, Page 3

MAREO TRIAL

( g > Alleged Murder of Wife YESTERDAY’S EVIDENCE COUNSELS’ ADDRESSES (Per I jss Association) AUCKLAND, Last Night. The hearing of the charge against Eric Mareo of murdering his wife, Thelma Clarice Mareo, on April 15, 1935, was continued to-day. When, late in the morning, it became known that evidence was not being called for the defence, the news quickly spread and throughout the lunch hour a large queue awaited admission. When Mr Johnstone commenced bis address, Miss Freda Stark, one of the principal witnesses for the Crown, took a seat in the Court. The Crown case is being conducted by Mr A. H. Johnstone, K.C., Auckland, assisted by Mr V. N. Hubble. The defence is in the hands of Mr H. F. O’Leary, K.C., Wellington, assisted by Messrs Trevor Henry and K. C. Aekins. Permission to Search

Cross-examined by Mr Aekins, Detective Hamilton said that when the police first went to Tenterden Avenue they had no search warrant, but Mareo gave full permission to search the whole house. During the making of his statements the accused used ‘‘poor darling f ’ and “poor dear’’ often in referring to bis wife. The last witness, Detective McLean, corroborated much of The evidence of Detective-Sergeant Aleiklejohn and Detective Hamilton. Mr O'Leary informed His Honour that he desired to address the jury after the final address by the Crown. His Honour: Yes, Mr O'Leary. In an exhaustive review of the evidence, Mr Johnstone. Crown Prosecutor, said: “We tola you last week that Mareo was accused of murdering his wife by administering veronal in a poisoining dose. We said we would not be able to produce any witness who had actually seen the accused administer the dose,, but we maintain that the case which has been put forward stands unshaken to-day.’’

“Casual Conduct” He said that the Mareos were both associated with the theatre and allowances should be mad'e for their casual conduct. The allegation that Airs Mareo drank to excess had been grossly exaggerated. A large body of evidence had come from people who said she was not a drinker. “It is due to this dead woman,’’ said counsel, “to say that she was not the drunken person her husband would have you believe.” Referring to the suggestion of Lesbianism, Mr Johnstone said the only reason for the suggestion being introduced could be to blacken her character. Two of the letters handed to the police by the accused after his wife’s death .apparently 'Were written by a foreigner and some of the things said in the letters were resented by Mrs Mareo, as one ot the letters proved. Even if the accusation were true, Mareo had said he knew all about it before their marriage and, even if all the charges were true, that was no reason why she should have been poisoned or why she should have poisoned herself.

Mr Johnstone said that, even from Mareo’s own statements, Mrs Mar<o took no drugs, nor were any drugs found in her belongings.

“What has the evidence to say of the accused,” said Mr Johnstone “He, is a musician and a married man, but, if you accept our submissions, he was a married man only in name. He had no marital relations.’ The quarrels at home were not infrequent and Betty could not get on with Mrs Mareo and an association grew up between Miss Brownlee and Mareo. She paid one quarter’s fees of £4 4s to him, but after that she ceased paying anything to him. She played his accompaniments at rehearsals; she was typiste for him; she was his pianiste when he conducted the orchestra: she attended to his financial affairs prepared his scenarios, cleaned up the house, laundered his clothes and she even supplied him with a car and drove Mareo, drunk and sober. “He Had No Money” “What do we find as soon as Mrs Mareo died? She installed herself there, remaining until the Mareos themselves left. He us'ed her room in Wynyard street. Was not his wife now an incumbrance to Mareo? So,

at the end of March, 1935, he found himself out of employment. He had no money; he- was -addicted to drink; he was taking veronal every day, according to his own statement; he had spent all his wife’s money and she had nothing more.” Air Johnstone said that Mrs Alareo did not leave any note suggesting suicide, neither was' there any evidence showing suicidal intent nor, any evidence that she had veronal. Air Johnstone then reviewed in detail the illness of Airs Alareo and (he medical evidence that she died of veronal poisoning. The question then was, Who gave this veronal? It was the Crown’s submission that it was given to her intentionally by the accused who, counsel said, had acquired a large stock of veronal. ' The accused had ample opportunity to give it. Air Johnstone reviewed at length the evidence regarding the milk prepared for Airs Alareo, stating that Alareo had means of adding veronal to the milk and also the opportunity of doing so. The Crown submitted that the accused had given the deceased doses of veronal on both nights. , Attitude During Illness Alareo’s attitude during his wife's illness was commented on by Air Johnstone. Alareo’s explanation was that he thought she was drunk, but at no time during her three-days’ illness was there any smell of liquor about her. Alareo did not know the cause of the illness with any precision and he should have got a doctor.

“The dictates of common humanity should have told him to have done something more than this,” said counsel. Following Mr Johnstone’s address no evidence was called for the defence and Mr O’Leary addressed the jury on behalf of the accused. Referring to the accused’s relations with Eleanor Brownlee, he said that any suggestion of impropriety had been entirely dissipated. The Crown alleged that Mareo had murdered his wife to replace her by Miss Brownlee, but it was not proved that there had been anything wrong in the relationship. Not a Murderer’s Weapon Mr O’Leary submitted that veronal was not a murderer’s weapon. When it had caused death it had been a case either of misadventure or suicide.

The defence agreed that Mrs Mareo died from veronal poisoning but repudiated that suggestion that the drug had been administered by the accused for the purpose of bringing about his wife’s death. It was possibly a case of suicide, but the greatest possibility was death from misadventure.

Referring to the suggestion that the deceased was a Lesbian, counsel said it seemed that when Mareo was sober he thought the relations between his wife and Freda Stark were all right, but when in liquor he was more outspoken in his opinions. As a further answer to the allegation of murder, Mr O’Leary said that Mareo’s wife was an asset to him. He had planned to take over the company wherein she was leading lady and, as late as April 14, he and Miss Brownlee were discussing this and another project wherein the deceased was to be leading lady in a film adopted from the book “The Plum'e of the Arawas.” Yet the jury was, asked to believe that he was then murdering a woman who would be a necessity to him. Miss Brownlee . would not be useful on the stage but the deceased was essential to Mareo’s plans. Veronal Purchases Referring to the accused’s veronal purchases, counsel pointed out that he freely mentioned them to Dr Dreadon and the police. Had he committed murder he would have got rid of the remainder of the drug. The accused’s warning to Freda Stark to be careful what she said was accounted for by the tact that he had obtained medicine and pills from a chemist for ’ his wife’s irregularity and he thought that this might have caused her death. He was afraid to get a doctor because of this purchase of medicine. Mareo actually overstated his purchases of veronal. Mareo’s surprise when he found that the tablets in the bottle had gone was emphasised by counsel. As to deceased’s alleged Lesbian practices, this matter was merely mentioned by the accused to the police, little thinking that it was going to be used as evidence. Counsel suggested that it had been wholly brought into the light through police questions to the accused. Mr O’Leary had not finished when the Court adjourned till to-morrow. .. . - .•