Socialite was ‘very drunk’ when she shot police officer, estranged partner claims
A Canadian socialite who has admitted killing a police officer was ‘very drunk’ on the night of the shooting, her partner has claimed.
Jasmine Hartin was arrested in 2021 after Henry Jemmott, a father of five, was shot.
She appeared at Supreme Court in Belize City earlier this week and entered a plea.
At the time of the incident, police said Hartin and Mr Jemmott had been drinking alone on a pier in the town of San Pedro.
The 42-year-old officer was found dead in nearby water on May 28, 2021.
Hartin’s former partner of Lord Ashcroft’s son Andrew said she was ‘very drunk’ before the shooting.
MailOnline reports that, in a statement submitted to the court, he claimed she had around eight lines and ‘some’ shots on the evening of the incident.
He said that the then-couple had gone to an event at the Sunset Lounge until around 11pm on May 28, 2021.
In his statement, Mr Ashcroft 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.
‘While doing her hair and makeup… she consumed about two to three glasses of wine with her hair and makeup artist. When we arrived at the party, at about 7pm, Jasmine continued to consume alcohol and had at least four to five more drinks. I observed her doing shots.’
Mr Ashcroft said he was woken up at 1am when staff told him what had allegedly taken place.
Hartin, who has pleaded guilty to manslaughter by negligence over the death, denied the allegations.
She maintains that Mr Jemmott’s death was a ‘horrible accident’ which occurred accidentally as he offered to teach her how to use a Glock-17 for protection.
The socialite’s spokesman Louisa Chiaramonte told the court: ‘There was no mention in any of the official case disclosures or police statements that indicated Ms Hartin was intoxicated in any way, no blood alcohol tests were done as they (the police) did not see any sign of intoxication.
‘These statements by Andrew Ashcroft were not accepted into evidence by the court, and were submitted last minute, clearly with the intended strategy of then leaking them to the media in order to further defame and slander the reputation of Ms Hartin.’
Reporting from outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Channel 5 Belize quoted Hartin as saying: ‘I just want Henry’s family to have peace now and I want this whole thing behind all of us so we can heal.’
According to the broadcaster, she was told by a judge she could be handed a non-custodial sentence such as a fine.
The court will next sit for a sentencing hearing which is expected to take place on May 31.
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