The sister of the Belize police chief shot by Jasmine Hartin says her family will continue their fight for justice as there is “no peace” in the socialite’s last-minute guilty plea. The estranged couple of the sons of Tory nobleman Lord Ashcroft fell apart yesterday when he pleaded guilty to negligent manslaughter in the death of Superintendent Henry Jemmott.
The 33-year-old told reporters after the Belize High Court hearing: “I just want Henry’s family to have peace now and I want to put all this behind us so we can heal.” But his sister Cherry Jemmott, herself a high-ranking official in the Central American nation, told the Mail: “No, there is no peace.” The Belize Police Assistant Superintendent said the family would continue their wrongful-death civil suit against Hartin.
“It’s far from over for us… it’s very difficult for us, my brother left, they took his life,” the 50-year-old added. Ms Jemmott said Hartin’s last-minute statement before her trial came too late for the family as the case dragged on since the father of five was shot in the head in the summer of 2021.
Jasmine Hartin Pleaded guilty to manslaughter
“May 28th will be two years since my only brother was killed,” Miss Jemmott pointed out. That is my only brother. We think of him every day. He was only 42 years old. Hartin’s lawyers are believed to have requested a stay in the family’s civil case to allow for the ongoing criminal proceedings.
The claim is now expected to resume in High Court after Hartin is sentenced on May 31. The Canadian, who has twins with Andrew Ashcroft, has long insisted that the death of Superintendent Henry Jemmott in May 2021 was a “horrible accident”. He was due to go to trial in the shooting Tuesday morning, but he pleaded guilty at the last minute after his lawyers requested an indication of guilty plea.
Prosecutors presented Judge Ricardo Sandcroft with an evidence file that would have been opened if the trial had gone ahead. With tears streaming down his face and visibly shaking, Hartin’s voice trembled as he stood on the small wooden bench to present his last-minute statement in the packed courtroom.
He was watched over by the dead officer’s sisters and his daughter, who have stoically attended court proceedings since he was assassinated nearly two years ago. The Belize court heard that in the case of an early guilty plea, the offense generally carried a suspended sentence without imprisonment and a fine.
Judge Ricardo Sandcroft said it was unlikely that he would “depart” from existing precedence, but he had previously advised Ms Hartin at an earlier hearing that he was “not required” to abide by it.
The judge ordered a socioeconomic report that will be used to determine the amount of the fine and possible compensation for his family. He said he would also take into consideration several factors in determining his sentence, including victim impact statements and whether or not the defendant has shown remorse.
While she was out on bail awaiting trial, Ms. Hartin has given several television interviews in which she has claimed that she shot the officer, whom she described as a trusted friend, by accident.
Her father was shot in the head while enjoying a late-night drink with Miss Hartin on the pier near Mr. Ashcroft’s luxury hotel on the island of Ambergris Caye. Miss Hartin said that Jemmott had offered to teach her how to use a Glock 17 to protect herself from her after she was attacked at a party.
But she said the gun went off when she tried to give him the magazine and a single bullet hit him in the head and her body collapsed on top of her.
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