Socialite Jasmine Hartin pleads guilty to manslaughter in shooting of Belize police officer
Canadian socialite Jasmine Hartin, who was once married to the son of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of a police chief in the Central American country of Belize.
Hartin, who shares two children with Andrew Ashcroft, broke down in tears as she entered her plea at the Supreme Court in Belize City on Tuesday, according to The Telegraph. She has on several occasions denied intentionally shooting police superintendent Henry Jemmott in May 2021, maintaining the gun she’d been handling fired by mistake.
She entered her plea just before her trial was set to begin on Wednesday.
Authorities found Hartin covered in blood on an empty pier near the luxurious beachfront home she shared with her billionaire partner. Jemmott, who was one of the most high-ranking and beloved cops in Belize, was found dead in the water nearby. He was shot once behind the ear.
“I just want Henry’s family to have peace now and I want this whole thing to be behind all of us so we can heal,” Hartin said after leaving the courtroom.
According to her, Jemmott — a friend she met through her husband — was at her home in Belize the night of his death to discuss her security. They shared a drink together and later walked to a pier because “the moon was beautiful,” she told Channel 5 Belize. Hartin additionally claimed that Jemmott wanted her to have a gun for protection and that she’d been handling it when it suddenly discharged.
“He says … ‘Can you hand me the magazine from the gun,’” Hartin said in 2021 interview with CBS. “So, I lean over. I pick up the gun. … I’m trying to get the magazine out. Next thing I know, the gun went off.”
In the wake of Jemmott’s death, Hartin initially alleged her friend was shot by passersby in a boat, but has since said she does not remember making that claim. She also denied being romantically involved with the officer.
Hartin is slated to be sentenced on May 31 and is not expected to receive any jail time.
