£30,000 fine for the socialite who killed policeman with his own gun
...and she’s ordered to make video on risks of ‘drinking and making foolish decisions’
SOCIALITE Jasmine Hartin was last night handed a £30,000 fine for killing a Belizean police chief with his own gun.
Hartin, 33, initially denied responsibility over the death of Superintendent Henry Jemmott but pleaded guilty to manslaughter by negligence at a hearing in April.
At the Supreme Court in Belize City yesterday, the Canadian mother of two was also handed 300 hours of community service and told she must record a video to teach others about the dangers of ‘drinking and making foolish decisions’.
Wearing a light blue shirt and grey trousers, she wept in the small wooden dock at Belize’s Supreme Court as her sentence was delivered yesterday.
The estranged partner of Tory grandee Lord Ashcroft’s son Andrew had previously insisted the officer’s death was a ‘horrible accident’.
Mr Jemmott was killed by a shot to the head while he and Hartin were drinking together late at night on a pier in 2021 near Mr Ashcroft’s luxury hotel on the island of Ambergris Caye. Judge Ricardo Sandcroft told her yesterday: ‘I must reflect, Miss Hartin, that a life has been taken. The life of a reputable and venerable police officer.
‘We must see people rehabilitated and I do not believe prisons rehabilitate anyone. Miss Hartin is still young and she is consumed with grief over the death of Supt Jemmott, who was her friend. As part of your rehabilitation, you must make a video about the dangers of drinking and making foolish decisions, such as handling a firearm.’
Hartin claimed the officer had offered to teach her how to use his Glock-17 pistol for her protection.
She entered a guilty plea to manslaughter by negligence at the last minute before her trial was due to take place. It comes after Mr Jemmott’s widow Romit Wilson, 39, criticised Hartin’s behaviour throughout the court case, accusing the socialite of conducting an ‘international PR campaign’.
Ms Wilson, who had three children with Mr Jemmott, broke her silence to tell the Daily Mail Hartin had sought to portray herself as the victim. She previously said: ‘I have not given any interviews to any media houses since the day Henry was killed.
‘I have focused on our children, taking care of them and dealing with our grief. I know they say grief comes in waves, but ours has been constant.
‘My children and I have had to endure Ms Hartin recounting in interview after interview, in full documentaries even, details of that awful night, details of her friendship with Henry and even details about my relationship with Henry. The Jemmott family’s lawyer, Leslie Mendez, also criticised Hartin for trying to ‘inject uncertainty’ over her plea. Ms Mendez said: ‘You cannot waffle on the veracity of your guilty plea and, at the same time, maintain you want the family to have peace and heal.’
While on bail awaiting trial, Hartin gave several interviews in print and on camera. She has also featured in the documentary One Bullet in Belize on US streaming service Discovery+.
Hartin has described in graphic detail how she ‘accidentally’ shot the officer as they enjoyed a late-night drink. She said she ‘wriggled out’ from under the heavily built officer and was left covered in his blood.
Her former partner Andrew Ashcroft has said Hartin was ‘very drunk’ on the night of the incident.
Mr Ashcroft’s claims contradicted Hartin’s assertion she had only consumed a few drinks and was not intoxicated on the night Mr Jemmott was killed. The couple separated shortly after the incident and have since been embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their twin children.
Mr Ashcroft, 45, said in his statement that they had attended a party at the Sunset Lounge until about 11pm on May 28, 2021.
He said: ‘Jasmine had been drinking heavily and had started consuming alcohol while getting ready to attend the party and continued to do so at the party.’
Mr Ashcroft said after the couple arrived back at the hotel, Hartin asked him to join her for drinks with Mr Jemmott, who was staying at the resort.
‘Jasmine appeared very drunk at this point,’ he added, saying he declined and offered to stay with the children before going to bed.
The father described the moment he was woken by staff to be informed of the shooting at 1am.
‘I saw Jasmine standing in front of the Mata Rocks Pier covered in blood about 30 yards from me.’