Posted on: Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Life sentence for hurting son

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A man was sentenced yesterday to life in prison with the possibility of parole for an attack that left his 6-month-old son brain-damaged and nearly dead.

Circuit Judge Karen Ahn ordered Anthony Chatman to serve at least 15 years of the life sentence before he can be considered for release by the Hawai'i Paroling Authority. The 15-year minimum was because of the age of the victim.

Ahn also sentenced Chatman to five-year terms for bribery, witness intimidation and extortion stemming from the attack on his son. Those terms will be concurrent, but Ahn ordered that the five years must be consecutive to the life term for the attempted murder conviction.

City deputy prosecutor Dan Oyasato maintained during a month-long trial, which ended last July, that Chatman punched son Taison Suzuki, thrust the boy's head back repeatedly and nearly suffocated him by pushing his face into a bed at a Waikiki hotel room where the boy was staying with his mother, Asahi Suzuki.

Oyasato said Suzuki had brought the boy with her from Japan to see if Chatman would marry her.

But Chatman's lawyer, Chester Kanai, said during the trial that Taison appeared normal when Chatman saw him the night of April 2, 2002, and that Suzuki was the one who likely injured the boy.

Kanai said Suzuki was bitter and frustrated that Chatman would not marry her and that she took her frustration out on the baby.

In his statement to the court yesterday, Chatman admitted responsibility for the injuries his son suffered saying he did not do enough to protect him from others.

Reach David Waite at 525-8030 or at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com.