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Mrs. Monty For Trial On
Charge Of Poisoning
SYDNEY, Friday.
Mrs. Veronica Mabel Monty, 45, was to-day committed for trial on a
charge of having administered thallium to her son-in-law, footballer Bobby
Lulham, with intent to murder.
She was committed to appear
on November 16 at Central Crim-
inal Court by Chief Stipendiary
Magistrate Mr. Denton, after
two-and-a-half-days' hearing.
Asked by Mr. Denton if she
had anything to say, Mrs. Monty
said quietly, "I am innocent."
Mr. Denton reduced Mrs.
Monty's bail from £1,000 to £500,
and ordered her to report to
the police three times a week.
He said his reduction of bail
was not to be taken as express-
ing an opinion as to the evidence
one way or the other.
Committing Mrs. Monty for
trial, Mr. Denton said, "I am of
the opinion that a prima facie
case has been established and,
that being so, I do not propose
to review the evidence, in any
way."
Earlier, Mr. Thom (for Mrs.
Monty) in his address had asked
that Mrs. Monty be discharged.
To establish a prima facie
case the prosecution had to
prove that the poison was ad-
ministered deliberately, and with
intent to murder Lulham.
He submitted the prosecution
had failed on both counts to make
out a prima facie case.
Mrs. Monty's own admission
was that the poisoning was an
unfortunate accident."
Mr. Thom, said the prosecution
was entitled to bring in circum-
stantial evidence, but a trial jury
could only convict if the circum-
stantial evidence ruled out all
hypotheses of innocence, and he
submitted that this was not the
case.
He said the prosecution had
brought in all sorts of motives,
including the transfer of Lul-
ham's house, the lipstick on his
shirt, and the relationship be-
tween Lulham and Mrs. Monty.
On the day that Lulham went
to hospital he was going to trans-
fer the house, Mr. Thom said.
Lulham's supposed relationship
with Gwen Stuart could not stand
as a motive, he said, because the
whole thing had been ironed out
satisfactorily and the family con-
tinued to live happily together.
Mr. Thom said that on the
question of intent to murder,
Mrs. Monty's actions were not
consistent with murderous in-
tent.
She had warned the doctor of
Lulham's condition and had done
everything to prevent him from
the adverse consequences of
poisoning.
The Police Prosecutor, Sgt.
Rex Hamilton, said, "If ever
there was a case which is brist-
ling with motive, this is the
case."
There was evidence that Mrs.
Monty found herself in an im-
possible situation, being the
mother of a young daughter and
having illicit relationship with
her daughter's husband while all
were living together in the same
house.
He said Mrs. Monty took the
poison home and put a dose in a
cup which was intended for
someone.
"I submit that she had no in-
tention to commit suicide and
the later taking of thallium was
merely a subterfuge to bolster
up her story," he said.
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