1 freed, 3 to lead defence in father, daughter murder

…another remains on the run

Three men who have been accused of the July 14, 2019 murder of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara moneychanger Aaron Latchman and his daughter Arianna Latchman have elected to lead defence following a ruling that a prima facie case has been established against them.
The ruling was handed down on Thursday by Magistrate Alisha George, who is the presiding magistrate at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Courts.
Those to lead a defence are 37-year-old Paul Chan, called “Anthony”, a bus conductor of Dennis Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown; 44-year-old Troy Abrams, called “Rasta Man”, a vendor of Middle Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara (EBD); and 37-year-old Lloyd Sadloo of Mocha Arcadia, EBD.
Meanwhile, the case against 41-year-old Sean Thomas, called “Yankee”, an electrician of William Street, Kitty, Georgetown, who had been jointly charged with the three men, has been discharged after the magistrate upheld a no-case submission made by his lawyer. As such, Thomas was informed that he was free to leave the court.

A fifth accused, 25-year-old Mark Rufina, who escaped from the Lusignan Prison at some time between October 20 and October 21, 2020, remains on the run.
It was reported that on the day of the murder, both Aaron Latchman and his 19-year-old daughter Arianna had just returned to their Lot 58 Robert Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara home when they were attacked by armed men.
It is alleged that the men held the man and his daughter at gunpoint and took them into the upper flat of their home, where they demanded money. Upon receiving a bag that contained an undisclosed amount of cash, the men shot the money changer and his daughter before escaping.
Shortly after, the businessman and his daughter were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where they were both pronounced dead.
Sometime later, a motorcar that belonged to the dead businessman, which had been used by the bandits, was found at Front Road, La Penitence, Georgetown. During a search of the vehicle, an illegal firearm and several rounds of ammunition were found.
Two of the accused killers – Abrams and Sadloo – had previously been arrested and placed before the court for various offences ranging from robbery-under-arms to trafficking in narcotics.
Abrams had, in 2016, been found guilty of robbery-under-arms committed on moneychangers Rayburn Fraser and Osaffo Ward at America Street, Georgetown on November 3, 2015, and had been sentenced to five years in prison.
Sadloo had, in 2008, been charged with murder. It is unclear at this time what had been the outcome of that matter. However, in 2016, Sadloo had been handed a four-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of trafficking in marijuana. He had also been previously charged with armed robbery and escaping from lawful custody.