‘It’s far from over for us’: Sister of Belize police chief shot dead by socialite Jasmine Hartin says there is ‘no peace’ following guilty plea and family will continue their civil claim
- Jasmine Hartin pleaded guilty to manslaughter by negligence yesterday
- She told reporters that she now wanted Henry Jemmott’s family to have peace
- His sister Cherry Jemmott, also an officer, told the Mail that ‘there is no peace’
The sister of the Belizean police chief shot by Jasmine Hartin says her family will continue their fight for justice as there is ‘no peace’ to be found in the socialite’s last minute guilty plea.
The estranged partner of Tory grandee Lord Ashcroft’s son broke down yesterday as she dramatically pleaded guilty to manslaughter by negligence over the death of Superintendent Henry Jemmott.
The 33-year-old told reporters after the hearing at the Higher Court in Belize: ‘I just want Henry’s family to have peace now and I want to put this whole thing behind all of us so that we can heal.’
But his sister Cherry Jemmott, herself a senior officer in the Central American nation, told the Mail: ‘No, there is no peace.’
The assistant superintendent in Belize Police said that the family would continue their civil claim for wrongful death against Hartin.
The sister of the Belizean police chief shot by Jasmine Hartin says her family will continue their fight for justice as there is ‘no peace’ to be found in the socialite’s last minute guilty plea. Pictured: Henry Jemmott and his sister Cherry
Hartin admitted she shot Superintendent Henry Jemmott (pictured) when his gun went off by accident while she handled it as they had a late-night drink together on a pier in May 2021
Jasmine Hartin, 33, broke down in tears as she entered her plea at Supreme Court in Belize City where she was due to go on trial for manslaughter by negligence
‘It’s far from over for us…it’s very rough for us, my brother is gone, his life was taken,’ the 50-year-old added.
Miss Jemmott said Hartin’s 11th hour plea ahead of her trial came too late for the family with the case having dragged on since the father of five died from a shot to the head in the summer of 2021.
‘On the 28th of May it will be two years since my only brother was killed,’ Miss Jemmott pointed out.
‘That’s my only brother. We think about him every day. He was only 42.’
Hartin’s lawyers were 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 before the High Court after Hartin is sentenced on May 31.
The Canadian, who has twins with the Andrew Ashcroft has long insisted that the death of Superintendent Henry Jemmott in May 2021 was a ‘horrible accident’.
She was due to go on trial over the shooting on Tuesday morning but entered the last minute plea after her lawyers requested a plea indication.
Prosecutors presented Judge Ricardo Sandcroft with a file of evidence that would have been unsealed had the trial gone ahead.
Pictured are Lord Ashcroft’s son Andrew, 44, (left) and his former partner Jasmine Hartin (right) who has pleaded guilty to manslaughter by negligence in Belize
With tears streaming down her face and visibly shaking, Hartin’s voice trembled as she stood in the small wooden dock to enter her last-minute plea in the packed courtroom.
She was watched by the dead officer’s sisters and his daughter who have stoically attended court proceedings since he was killed almost two years ago.
The Belizean court house heard that in the case of an early guilty plea, the offence typically carried a non-custodial suspended sentence and a fine.
Judge Ricardo Sandcroft said he was unlikely to ‘veer away’ from the existing precedence but had previously warned Miss Hartin in an earlier hearing that he was ‘not bound’ to it.
The judge ordered a socio-economic report which 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 while determining his sentence including victim impact statements and whether or not remorse has been shown by the defendant.
While on bail awaiting trial, Miss Hartin has given several TV interviews in which she has claimed she shot the officer – who she described as a trusted friend – by accident.
The 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 Mr Jemmott had offered to teach her how to use a Glock 17 for protection after she had been attacked at a party.
But she said the gun went off as she tried to hand him the magazine and a single bullet struck him in the head causing his body to slump on top of her.
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