-two others awaiting trial
One of the three men who had been charged with the 2019 murder of Better Hope moneychanger Aaron Latchman and his daughter Arianna, has been freed of the indictment.
Lloyd Sadloo was cleared of the charge last Thursday when High Court Judge Jo-Ann Barlow upheld a no-case submission which had been made by his attorney.
During a voir dire, defence counsel Mark Waldron argued that his client had no case to answer as the prosecution had failed in discharging its burden of proving the case.
Justice Barlow found in favour of Sadloo, upholding the submissions of counsel that the State had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.
She thereafter instructed the jury to formally return a verdict of not guilty, thereby discharging Sadloo who was set free.
Meanwhile, his co-accused Troy Abrams and Paul Chan are yet to face trial. They remain in prison on remand awaiting a trial date which is still to be fixed.
The trio had been committed to stand trial back in June of 2021 following the conclusion of a preliminary inquiry (PI) into the charge at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Alisha George.
A month earlier, Magis-trate George had discharged their co-accused Sean Thomas who was one of the five men originally charged with the crime.
The fifth accused, Mark Rufino, was severed from the proceedings following the advice of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack.
The Latchmans were killed in an attack at their Better Hope, East Coast Deme-rara residence.
It is alleged that on July 4th, 2019, at Robert Street, Better Hope, the men murdered the Latchmans in the course or furtherance of a robbery.
According to the police, Aaron and his daughter arrived at their home in a car and as they exited the vehicle they were confronted by the men.
A struggle ensued and the perpetrators shot the victims multiple times and escaped with a bag containing cash.
The victims were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.
