A Santa Cruz man who was imprisoned for more than six years was yesterday freed of killing a police officer. It took the jury just 15 minutes of deliberations before returning with the verdict of not guilty in favour of Devanand Latchman. It was "three times a charm" for the accused, as two successive juries, before that, could not unanimously agree on a verdict, in two separate trials at the Port-of-Spain High Court. Latchman, 30, of Jagan Village, Upper Santa Cruz, was before Justice Carla Brown-Antoine on trial in the Fourth Criminal Court for the murder of PC Aloysius Charles.
Charles was killed under mysterious circumstances on July 11, 2004, in a forested area a short distance from the Toco Police Station. Yesterday, as he exited from the doors of the Hall of Justice, Latchman's mother Baby Latchman, 66, and sisters Pamela and Joan broke down in tears. His father Francis Lalloo soon joined in the embrace. "My son is a free man...Now they have to go and find the real culprit," Lalloo said. Latchman, who was 23 when he was arrested and charged with murder, told reporters while he maintained his innocence to the charge, he was cheated by the system. "Well, I was inside innocently...All I have to say is that the justice system stinks," he said.
He was, however, thankful to those who knew he was innocent all along. Among them was his attorney Theodore Guerra, SC. "I just want to thank my Mr Guerra for sticking with me through it all," Latchman said. In fact, Guerra had represented him at the two previous trials. On November 2, 2006, in a trial before then Justice Larry Lalla, the jury remained deadlocked on a verdict. Again in 2008, a jury could not agree on a verdict in a trial before Justice Mark Mohammed. Sabrina Dougdeen prosecuted and it was alleged that Latchman killed Charles when he (Charles) went into the Toco forest looking for him.
Latchman was arrested at a roadblock exercise in Toco and escaped custody while being processed at the Toco Police Station. PC Charles, who was 52, was found in bushes in Toco with his head bashed in.
Latchman denied the allegation. An inculpatory statement was tendered as evidence against the accused, but he denied giving any self-incriminating statement to the police.