Psychological report ordered for Westmoorings killer Chuck Attin

A series of reports have been ordered by the High Court judge tasked with the review of the sentence of convicted teen murderer Chuck Attin.

Attin reappeared virtually from the Golden Grove Prison in Arouca on Wednesday for his sentence review by Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas.

At the brief hearing, the judge ordered the superintendent of the prison to prepare and submit a comprehensive report detailing Attin’s incarceration for the past 27 years in relation to to his behaviour, health and general deportment.

St Clair-Douglas also wants a report on Attin’s response to religious instruction and one from the prison’s medical officer on his general state of health.

Included in the judge’s order were a bio-social report and a psychological assessment of Attin’s mental state and prognosis for the future.

These reports are to be submitted by March 15, the judge ordered.

Attin and another man were convicted of the 1994 murder of Candace Scott, 23, and Karen Sa Gomes, 31, in Westmoorings in 1997.

At the time, he was one of the youngest convicted killers, at just 15.

Attin, formerly of Nile Street, Cocorite, was initially sentenced by Justice Lionel Jones to be detained at the State’s pleasure, but this was later challenged in a constitutional motion. The law was changed so that child murderers, who could not face the death penalty because of their age, would be detained at the court’s pleasure, with periodic reviews.

In 2004, Justice Herbert Volney sentenced him to a minimum term of 25 years, after which he would return to court for a sentence review .

Volney’s ruling was partly upheld by the Court of Appeal, which ruled the 25-year punitive element of the sentence was not excessive, having regard to the brutality of the case, but the sentence should come up for review before that term expired.

Attin’s last review was in 2015, also before St Clair-Douglas, when it was determined he was not ready to be released, since he had not availed himself of the various reintegration programmes offered at the prison.

The judge urged him to do so.

“Clearly you have changed, but the real question is by how much...Releasing a man with no life skills who engaged in a serious crime is not something any court can take lightly,” he said in 2015.

He also said then he believed Attin was not fully prepared to be reintroduced into society, although he had made some improvement and had expressed remorse over his actions.

Attin’s co-accused, Noel Seepersad, was sentenced to hang. He appealed his conviction, but his petition to the Privy Council for special leave was dismissed.

Attin is represented by attorneys Daniel Khan and Arissa Maharaj. Prosecutor Veonna Neale-Munroe appeared for the State at Wednesday’s virtual hearing.