Photo: Jasmine Hartin
by Roy Davis (freelance reporter)
BELIZE CITY, Tues. Apr. 25, 2023
Canadian socialite Jasmine Hartin, 33, the former daughter-in-law of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, made local and international news today when she appeared on Tuesday before Justice Ricardo Sandcroft and pleaded guilty to manslaughter by negligence for the death of Police Superintendent Henry Jemmott, 42, which occurred on May 20, 2021, on a pier in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye.
Justice Sandcroft has indicated that her sentence will likely be non-custodial—that is, the imposition of a fine rather than imprisonment. He has set May 31 as the date for sentencing, and Hartin’s bail has been extended until that time. Sandcroft has also ordered that a social inquiry report and a victim’s impact assessment statement be provided by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Cheryl Lynn Vidal, who appeared in court on behalf of the Crown.
On the night of the incident, a single gunshot was heard, and, according to police reports, when officers arrived at the scene they saw Hartin standing on the pier with blood on her hands. Jemmott’s body was in the water with a gunshot wound behind the left ear. Hartin, the mother of twins, told police that she, Jemmott and Andrew Ashcroft, the son of Lord Ashcroft, were socializing on the pier when Andrew left, wanting to retire early for the night. She said Jemmott took out his service pistol and showed her how to use it, and when she handed the gun back to him it accidentally fired.
In a previous court session, members of the Jemmott family had worn shirts with writing on them expressing their desire for justice, but the judge had chided them about it and told them not to return to court wearing them.
After Tuesday’s guilty plea and indication by Justice Sandcroft that the sentence would likely be non-custodial, we reached out to Jemmott family members but they declined to comment at this time. However, it is expected that a victim assessment statement from them will be read by the judge at the sentencing which is scheduled for May 31.
On Tuesday outside the courtroom Hartin told court reporter Anita Nembhard: “I just want Henry’s family to have peace now, and I want this whole thing to be behind us so we can heal.”
Hartin was represented by Senior Counsel Hubert Elrington and his son, attorney Orson “OJ” Elrington.