Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 12 September 1953, page 5


Innocent, Mrs. Monty

savs at committal

Sydney, Friday I

MRS.' VERONICA

MABEL MONTY whispered "I am inno-cent" when she was committed for trial at the Lulham poisoning case today.

Bail was fixed at £500 after Sgt. Hamilton, pro

secutor, asked for a sub-stantial amount.

"Thall-rat is still avail-able, and there Is just a pos-sibility that something further may occur," Sgt. Hamilton said.

Mrs. Monty will appear at Central Criminal Court on November 16. and until then must report to the police three times a week.

She is charged with having

administered poison to her son-in-law, international footballer Robert John (Bobby) Lulham, with in-tent to murder.

Scores of people rushed seats at the court today, when the hearing resumed for the third day. Hun-dreds lined both sides of Liverpool st. waiting for the principals.

After the committal, Mrs. Monty went \v\th her hus-band and Mrs. Lulham to the Central Court office to arrange bail.

She smoked a cigarette as she waited for the packed foyer to clear.

Mr. J. Thom, Mrs. Monty's counsel, submitted in his ad-dress that a prima facie case had not been made.

The Crown first had to prove that poison had been deliberately administered; then that it was done with intent to murder.

Mrs. Monty was the only person who knew whether the poison had been admin-istered accidentally or de-liberately, and no one could be called to contradict her, he said.

"No motive"

The prosecution had to search - In vain, he thought - for a motive. Mr. Thom

added.

One motive set out by the Crown was the relationship between Mrs. Monty and Lulham. he said.

I Mrs. Monty said in evi-dence she had had Inter-course with Lulham. Lulham denied adulteuy, but said intimacies had occurred.]

Mr. Thom continued: "If there was anything the de-fendant should desire at her time of life it would be that Lulham should continue to live, and not die."