Now socialite who shot police chief is accused of ordering bizarre hit on two Belize lawmakers
THE former partner of Lord Ashcroft’s son has been questioned by police over an alleged murder-for-hire plot.
In the latest twist to a case that has gripped the tiny Caribbean nation of Belize and grabbed international headlines, 33-year-old Jasmine Hartin was questioned on Thursday over claims that she had ‘ordered a hit’ on the country’s police commissioner and a local magistrate.
Ms Hartin is locked in a bitter custody battle with Andrew Ashcroft, 44, the son of former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party Lord Ashcroft.
The pair have five-year-old twins and were never officially married, although they referred to each other as husband and wife during their decadelong relationship.
The investigation comes as the Canadian-born socialite awaits trial for the manslaughter of a local police chief.
Ms Hartin admits shooting Henry Jemmott in May 2021 dur ing a latenight drinking session near a luxury beach resort owned by the Ashcroft family, but denies it was anything other than a tragic accident.
She says the gun went off accidentally as her friend was trying to teach her to load and unload it.
Ms Hartin was interviewed over claims that she sought to ‘take out’ Belize’s Police Commissioner Chester Williams as well as magistrate Dale Cayetano, who is overseeing her child custody case.
Her lawyer described the allegations as ‘preposterous’.
The claims were made by Lionel Neal, a former handyman for Hartin, who told police that he overheard her saying that she hoped ‘these a ******* s will die’ and wanted to hire a hitman from a Belizean street gang.
Ms Hartin says that Mr Neal fabricated the allegations after she accused him of assault.
He has been charged with two offences, which he denies. In a statement to police regarding the alleged murder-for-hire plot, Ms Hartin claimed: ‘He [Neal] told me he was going to lie and tell them that I meant to murder Henry Jemmott and tried to kill a few other people as well.
‘He promised this would happen unless I paid him $1,000.’
Ms Hartin’s lawyer Dickie Bradley said: ‘There can’t be any truth to any of it. It doesn’t make sense.’
He added: ‘Who would want to take the life of a magistrate? How
‘It can’t be true… it doesn’t make sense’
can that be of any help to anyone? It is just sheer nonsense.’
Ms Hartin and Mr Ashcroft opened the sprawling Alaia resort on the paradise Belize island of Ambergris Caye just weeks before she shot Jemmott.
She later described her ‘devastation’ over the ‘tragic accident’.
Commenting on the latest investigation, Police Commissioner Williams said: ‘We will do what needs to be done to ensure that the threat is neutralised.’