By Mia Anthony
Paul Chan and Troy Abrams, both of whom pleaded guilty to the 2019 murder of money changer Aaron Latchman and his daughter Arianna Latchman, were sentenced yesterday by High Court Judge Navindra Singh to 20 and 25 years, respectively.
The murders occurred on July 4, 2019, when the men confronted 47-year-old Latchman and his daughter outside their home as they returned from Georgetown. Witnesses reported that the bandits demanded money and valuables, leading to a scuffle when Latchman resisted. The robbers then opened fire, fatally wounding both father and daughter. Aaron Latchman sustained multiple gunshot wounds, while Arianna was struck by a single, bullet.
Before the sentences were imposed, both Chan and Abrams were given an opportunity to address the court. Chan indicated that he wished to say something to the Latchman family. During his address, he extended condolences and expressed remorse for the part he played in causing the death of their loved ones. He lamented the fact that he was involved with bad company but insisted that he was not directly involved in the shooting but rather in the robbery. He also expressed deep regret about how the incident played out, stating that his actions were unplanned and that he was merely there to carry the money.
Arianna Latchman
Chan reiterated that he played no part in the actual shooting, a claim supported by the probation report, which stated Chan’s insistence that he was not involved in the shooting.
Abrams was also given a chance to speak. He told the Latchmans that he wanted to show remorse to the deceased’s family for his role in the incident.
State prosecutor Tanisha Saygon also addressed the court. She reminded of what transpired on the day of the incident; that Chan and Abrams, among others, observed the vehicle of the deceased for over four days before making their move. She said that although they may not have planned to kill anyone, it at least showed that they premeditated the robbery. She reiterated that guns were used to intimidate the father and daughter duo. She then referred to the post-mortem examination conducted in 2019, restating that among the gunshot wounds Aaron Latchman sustained, he also suffered blunt force trauma from being hit with the gun. His daughter, Arianna Latchman, who was a mere 18 years old, tried to defend her father and lost her life in the process when she sustained one fatal gunshot wound. Saygon asked the court to consider this when passing the sentence. She also stated that the two accused had not shown much remorse, given that they had had previous run-ins with the law and knew that by pleading guilty they might receive a lesser punishment.
During the reading of the sentence, Justice Singh stated that while the court acknowledges that Chan did not shoot the victims, it will accept the part he played in the premeditated robbery. He also opined that Abrams’ apology was not sincere and did not show enough remorse.
Justice Singh sentenced Chan to 20 years imprisonment for each count, with the sentences running concurrently without parole. Abrams was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on each count, with the sentences running concurrently without parole. However, the prison authorities were ordered to deduct the time that both accused spent on remand for the offence.
