COME Thursday, May 13, Magistrate Alisha George is expected to rule on a no-case submission made in the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the 2019 murders of moneychanger, Aaron Latchman, and his 18-year-old daughter, Arianna. The matter is being heard at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court

Paul Chan, called ‘Long Hair’ or ‘Anthony’, a 37-year-old conductor of Dennis Street, Sophia, East Coast Demerara; Troy Abrams called ‘Rastaman’, a 44-year-old vendor of Middle Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara (EBD); Lloyd Sadloo, a 37-year-old vendor of Mocha Arcadia, EBD and Sean Thomas called ‘Yankee’, a 41-year-old electrician of William Street, Kitty, and Mark Rufino called ‘Mark’, a 25-year-old labourer of Parika, East Bank Essequibo, were charged jointly for the capital offence. Rufino escaped from the Lusignan Prison in October 2020 and has not been recaptured.

Recently, the men’s attorney made a no-case submission calling for the charges to be dismissed on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish key elements in the case. Both parties have already submitted their arrangements to the court and so the Magistrate has set Thursday for ruling.

According to reports, on July 4, 2019, Aaron Latchman and his daughter had just returned from the city when the robbers ‘pounced’ on them. Eyewitnesses said the bandits approached the businessman and demanded cash and valuables but he refused. This led to a fight between Latchman and the bandits.

A number of shots were fired and both Aaron and Arianna Latchman were shot multiple times before falling to the ground. The father and daughter were picked up and rushed to a city hospital where they were pronounced dead. An autopsy performed on Aaron Latchman revealed that he sustained multiple gunshot injuries while his daughter, according to an autopsy, sustained a single gunshot injury.