Justice Herbert Lord grants bail to Jasmine Hartin in the shooting death of Police Superintendent Henry Jemmott, shot and killed with his own firearm.
“Bail granted to Hartin in the sum of $30,000 plus one surety of the same or $30,000 cash with eight stringent conditions”
by: Anita Nembhard
Belize City, Weds. June 9, 2021
Late this afternoon Jasmine Hartin’s relatives along with her attorneys are working hard to complete the paperwork as require by the court for her bail which was granted by Justice Herbert Lord this afternoon ,
Jasmine Hartin remains in lock down at the Belize Central Prison but not for too long. After eight days in custody, Hartin was granted Supreme Court bail in the sum of $30,000 with one surety of the same or $30,000 cash.
Justice Herbert Lord set eight stringent conditions to her bail, that Hartin must immediately surrender her passport, identification cards and social security card to the court.
She also cannot leave the country of Belize unless a request is made to the court and permission is granted; she must attend all her court adjournments in the case against her in the San Pedro Magistrate’s Court; she is not to obstruct the investigation in the matter and she is not to contact any witnesses whether directly or indirectly.
Hartin must also be on good behavior whilst out on bail and one of the most unpopular heard of is curfew place usual by the court mostly for minors and as of the day she meets bail.
Hartin who was placed on curfew for the remainder of her case must be indoors by 7:00 p.m., and cannot leave the confinement of her home until 6:00 a.m., each day.
Hartin was also order to report to the San Ignacio Police Station every day, while the case is before the San Pedro Magistrate Court,
Hartin must remain living at her home in San Ignacio and cannot change her address without first getting permission from the court before doing so.
Justice Lord made it clear that, a copy of these conditions to Hartin bail will be forwarded to the Immigration Department and the Commissioner of Police so that they can disseminate it to all formations and border personnel. He made it clear that breach of any of her conditions will lead to immediate revocation of her bail.
Hartin got the good news of bail being granted to her as she sat in a cell at the Belize Central Prison as her case was done virtually and while she was absent in court, the media houses made it their business to follow up the case until the last arguments concluded At about 2pm when Justice Lord laid down his decision and granted her bail.
The arguments made in the courtroom by the attorney’s for both sides kicked off about 9.30am this morning, but arguments did not conclude until and after a lunch break at 12:00 and the bail-hearing resumed.
1. Hartin is a mother of two chidden, a boy and a girl was charged with the offense of manslaughter by negligence in the shooting death of Police Superintendent, 42-year-old, Henry Jemmott.
Jemmott was fatally shot once in the back of his head with his own firearm, allegedly by Hartin who told police she accidentally shot the officer.
The directives to levy such a charge of manslaughter in the officer death instead of murder came from the DPP’s office after statements were recorded from the accused where she gave police her version of what transpired on the fatal night on San Pedro.
Sergeant Henry Jemmott will be laid to rest on Saturday, June 12, 2021 following funeral services in Dangriga Town.
Of interest to note is that Hartin case, who is a Canadian and the daughter-in-law of Lord Michael Ashcroft has been followed by two international media since last week Wednesday, the initial first court hearing date set for Hartin bail application since her detention, but Justice Herbert Lord who heard the case had adjourned the matter for today since the Crown, represented by Senior Crown Counsel, Shanice Lovelle had objection to Hartin being granted bail since she was a flight risk, being their only grounds for objecting to bail.
Outside The Courtroom – UK & US Media
ABC News from New York reporter, Alondra Valle as well as other news persons who asked that their name remain anonymous, from The Sun Newspaper in England has been following up the Hartin story and are here in Belize. The news about Jasmine Hartin has made it to several news outlets outside Belize, including The Guardian, Forbes, NY Post, The Independent, Sky News and CNN, to name a few.
At approximately 4.50pm Jasmine Hartin was released on bail from the Belize Central Prison in Hattieville.
There is no next court date set yet for Jasmine Hartin to return to the San Pedro Magistrate Court on the matter.
For channel1Belize.com – channel1Belize@gmail.com
edits by: digitalBelize,LIVE Staff reporter
Wednesday, June 9th. 2021 – digitalbelize@gmail.com