MAREO TRIAL

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19815, 20 February 1936, Page 8

MAREO TRIAL

WIFE MURDER CHARGE. PRINCIPAL CROWN WITNESS. FREDA STARK’ GIVES EVIDENCE. AUCKLAND, Wednesday. The evidence of the principal Grown witness, Miss Freda Stark, occupied practically the whole of the sitting of the Supreme Court to-day when the trial of Eric‘Mareo, aged 44, musician, on a charge of murdering his wife, Thelma Mareo, on April 15 last, completed its third day. Describing Mrs Mareo’s fatal illness, witness stated that on the Saturday evening prior to his wife’s death, Mareo brought to her room a cup of hot milk and a slice of dry bread. She broke off a piece of the bread and gave it to Mrs Mareo, and she chewed and swallowed if. Witness held the cup of milk to Mrs Mareo’s lips and she drank about half a cup. As witness had spilt some, she handed the cup to Graham Mareo to see if he could do any better. Graham gave her some more and handed back the cup. Mrs Mareo was getting very drowsy, and she clenched her teeth on the cup and would not drink any more. No spoon was used to give her milk, so far as witness knew. Graham and witness supported Mrs Mareo and half-carried her to another room. Mareo was too shaky to help. By the time they had got. her back she had fallen fast asleep. Witness did not notice any smell of alcohol either- on Mrs Mareo or the accused. Witness said to Mareo that she thought it looked serious and he ought to get a doctor, but he replied that a few more hours would not hurt her. Mareo went to sleep in a chair in Mrs Mareo's bedroom and witness lay down on the bed beside her. Witness did not sleep. Mrs Mareo was breathing very heavily and making gurgling noises in her throat. Witness got and dressed about six o’clock on Sunday morning. Mareo woke up about 9 a.m. but could not keep awake. After he was roused she again suggested getting a doctor and said Mrs Mareo had been asleep for practically two days. Mr Johnstone: What did he reply? —lf she is not awake by the time I get home I will call a doctor then. A couple of hours more won’t hurt her. Sleeping Nearly Three Days.” Witness said she ma.de a noise tidying up in the room and washed Mrs Mareo’s face, but without rousing her. When Mareo returned about 1 p.m. witness again spoke of getting a doctor, but he said he had rung up a chemist who had told him she could sleep for two or three days without ill effect. During the afternoon once or twice witness put eau-de-cologne on Mrs Mareo’s face, but she took no notice. About 7 p.m. witness began to get ready to go home and said to Mareq 41 Thelma has been sleeping practically three days, and I really think you should get a doctor.” He promised me,” witness said, "that he would get a doctor if she did not wake up in a few hours.” Graham Mareo took witness home about 9.30 p.m., Mareo remaining in the house. When making up the bed, witness said, she saw nothing containing tablets at any time. She noticed no signs of liquor upon Mrs Mareo while she was at the house on the Saturday and Sunday. Mr Johnstone: You knew Mrs Mareo intimately. Do you know if she ever took drugs?—l don’t know. I’d never ever seen her. 14 She was in a terrible condition.” said witness in describing how she. went to see Mrs Mareo on the Monday morning. Mr Johnstone: How was she breathing?—She was just gasping for breath. Veronal Poisoning Buspected. “I 6aid why don’t you get a doctor?” said witness, when asked if she had said anything to Mareo. Then she went next door to telephone for a doctor. She rang three, and finally got Dr. Dreadon. The doctor arrived about 3 p.m. and Mareo and witness were in the bedroom tvhen he entered. Mr Johnstone: What did he say? —He looked at her and opened her eyes, and said: 44 Oh, if looks like veronal poisoning.” /Witness added that Dr. Dreadon asked accused if there was any veronal in the house. Mareo said, 44 Yes,” and that he had been taking it to make him sleep. He kept it outside in a suitcase in the wash-house. Accused went out and came back with an empty bottle, which he showed to the doctor, saying that it had been practically full. The doctor said Mrs Mareo would have to go to the hospital ( straight away. Witness said she went to the hos- 1 pital and remained with Mrs Mareo until she died. Later she went hack and made a statement, to Detective Hamilton. After Detective Meikiejohn arrived he asked witness if she would he prepared to repeat some statements in front of Mareo. At that time she had already made a statemeht. and the detective wanted her to repeat those statements. In the sitting room Detective Meikle-

john asked her if she had asked Mareo to get a doctor on numerous occasions. Mareo laughed and said, 44 Oh, but you know, Thelma used to drink a lot.” Witness said, 44 Y T es,” Mr Mareo, I did ask you to get a doctor.” “ A Rope Round My Neck.” Accused telephoned witness on the morning of the day after Mrs Mareo died. He said he knew how much she felt Mrs Mareo's death. He added: 44 Fritters, dear, you’ll have to be careful what you say to the detectives or you’ll have a rope round my neck. Next time you give a statement tell them that you weren’t in a fit state to give a statement on Monday night.” Witness attended Mrs Mareo’s funeral on the Wednesday, and then went to Tenterden Avenue with Graham Mareo. Mareo wanted her to take all Thelma's clothes, except her fur coat, which he was going to sell. Mr Johnstone: Did you have • any conversation with Mareo about his relations with his -wife?—Yes, on one occasion. What did he tell you?—He said they weren't In love with one another, and that she was a wife in name only. The cross-examination was conducted by Mr O’Leary, to whom witness said that on the Sunday she mentioned to Mareo a doctor she knew. Her idea of him was that he was a doctor who would not ask any questions. Witness wrote the name of the doctor on paper. She said she tried to get him on Monday also. She told the detectives on Monday that Mareo had told her he had .bought medicine for Thelma on Friday. Mareo was surprised when he produced an empty bottle of veronal for the doctor. Questioned regarding the giving of the milk to Mrs Mareo, witness said she herself did not drink any of it. She was not sure if Graham drank ' any of the milk intended for witness. Tfie contents of the cup were thrown out of the window. Witness said she made the first attempt to give the milk to Mrs Mareo. She put the cup to Mrs Mareo's lips arid at first she drank it. Because witness was spilling the milk on Mrs Mareo's nightdress Graham Mareo took the cup. He also spilled some of the milk. * Indulgence In Liquor. When witness took the cup again Mrs Mareo took a little milk, and then suddenly stopped. The milk was hot. No teaspoon was brought in with the milk. Graham Mareo had made a mistake when he described the spooning out of the milk. Mr O’Leary: On the Monday when you first saw Mrs Mareo you went to get a doctor, but you did not do that on the Sunday. I put it to you that you couldn’t have thought a doctor was necessary on Sunday?— She \\asn’t so bad. And there was the trouble about the medicine to be considered, of course? —Yes. Have you ever seen Mrs Mareo under the influence of liquor?—No. I am not sure about one occasion. I did not know whether that was due to drink or to nervous exhaustion, j What liquor did she take?—Mostly sherry. , , I Brandy?—Yes, but not whisky. | Witness said she tqok a pound from I Mrs Mareo once to get drink, but she | did not intend to get it, and returned the pound to Mareo. It was not true that Mareo demanded the pound back. It was not true that Mrs Mareo was under the influence of liquor at the time of the two disturbances that had been spoke’n of. She would class Mareo as a very heavy drinker. Mr O’Leary: Would it be correct to describe you as an actress, Miss Stark? —No. Witness added that she was a dancer, and not an actress. She said Mrs Mareo had objected on a number of occasions to Miss Brownlee washing ties and waistcoats for Mareo. TO-DAY’S HEARING. MISS BROWNLEE IN BOX. ASSOCIATION WITH ACCUSED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Thursday. The Mareo trial entered on its fourth day to-day when the crossexamination of the witness Freda Stark by Mr O’Leary K.C., was concluded ten minutes after the Court resumed this morning. The building was again crowded. Witness denied taking anything like gin to Mrs Mareo, as stated, by Betty | Mareo. She also denied having told Betty about Mrs Mareo’s drinking habits at Buckland s Beach and said she never told her that Mareo never drank until he met Thelma. Replying to Mr Johnstone, K.C., for the Crown, under re-examination, witness said she had had a photograph of herself taken in the nude by a wellknown Auckland photographer, in the presence of his wife, to send to London for exhibition purposes. She gave Thelma one. She left the Dixieland party with Thelma early because the latter was disgusted at Mareo's behavWith His Honour's permission Mr Johnstone asked: "Did you ever give veronal to Mrs Mareo?” Witness replied: "No.” Eleanor Brownlee Called. Eleanor Jeanie Brownlee, the next witness called, said she had known Mareo for about, a year, having become his pianist in the " Duchess of Danzig ” orchestra, and later a member of the orchestra conducted by him at St. James’ Theatre, the also heliuonunuea in next column.*

came his secretary, assisting with the work of a film scenario. She went to Mareo’s house mostly lo work on the film but her visits ceased seven or eight weeks before Mrs Mareo’s death as a result of a Saturday night incident after she went home in a taxi with Mareo, who was under the influence of liquor. She had gone out to stop the night at accused’s invitation. Freda Stark came into the sitting-room about the same time as witness, who was making up a bed. Witness heard a noise in the passage, and on going out saw Freda Stark and Mrs Mareo, accused being in the bathroom.'Thelma went into the bathroom and it seemed as if she was calling for help. Witness knocked at the bathroom door and then went in as Mareo was calling out. Thelma had her face in her hands. Mareo was partly undressed, while Mrs Mareo was fully clothed and wearing a hat. Freda Stark was away in the front of the house. Thelma seemed to think someone was hurting her. Later, Mi's Mareo and Miss Stark left the house, the former returning next day shortly before witness left. A Note of Apology. As a result Mareo told witness that Thelma was being theatrical about the whole matter and he thought an apology should be made. Witness wrote a note of apology. S.Jie continued to work on the scenario but did not visit the house again until the day of Mrs Mareo’s death. “ 1 saw Mareo on the Thursday before the death," said witness. " That, was at my room in Wynyard Street I had left my parents’ home in September, 1934. On the Friday I saw him again at my room, and on Saturday evening went to his place in my car, met him outside the house, and went for a drive and later dropped him in Balmoral Road. On the Sunday morning I was out with 'him again. Witness said she had arranged to meet Mareo on the Monday morning in Balmoral Road but he did not come. Graham came and witness went to the house. Mareo said his wife seemed ill and he wanted to get a doctor. Witness touched her forehead as she slept, and it seemed quite normal and her colour was normal. Mareo said she had been taking pills. Attempts were made to get a doctor, but none wolild be available until 1.30 p.m. Witness did not make further effort, because Thelma did not look ill. Death of Mrs Mareo. She left the house about 1.30 p.m. and the next she heard was a telephone call from Mareo asking her to meet him in the hospital grounds. He told witness of his wife’s death and said the doctor had stated death was caused by veronal. Witness drove Mareo to various places in the city and afterwards to Tenterden Avenue. The police were there and witness was interviewed. Early next morning Mareo and his son Graham arrived at her room. For the remainder of that week witness stopped at Tenterden Avenue with Mareo, his son and daughter. Then Mareo and Graham moved to a room in the city. The three had meals together and she and Mareo did work on a scenario. To Mr Hubble witness said she did not know anything about Mareo taking veronal. (.Proceeding. 4