BELIZE-Canadian socialite pleads guilty to manslaughter in the death of a senior police officer.

BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – A High Court judge has set May 31 for sentencing a Canadian socialite who pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge arising out of the death of a senior police officer in 2021.

“I just want Henry’s family to have peace now, and I want this whole thing behind all of us so we can heal,” Jasmine Hartin told Supreme Court Judge Ricardo O’Neil Sandcroft at the start of her trial.

She pleaded guilty to manslaughter by negligence for the shooting death of 42-year-old Superintendent of Police Henry Jemmott, who was killed on a pier in San Pedro on May 28, 2021.

The Canadian socialite left the courtroom in tears after asking the court for a sentence indication, which is a brief review of what sentence an accused would be looking at for the crime they were charged with.

But the judge explained that there are quite a few things that he would need to consider, even as he said there is the likelihood that Hartin could be handed a non-custodial sentence.

Hartin was represented by the father and son team of Hubert and Orson Elrington, who later told reporters that the plea was not a win for any of the parties concerned.

“I believe that at the end of the day, as my client has consistently maintained, it is a most unfortunate set of circumstances. It is one for which she is truly remorseful. A life was lost,” said Orson Elrington,

“A life that can never be returned, and she has indicated her remorse not only with her words but her actions in trying to assist the family consistently. So, I don’t know that there can ever be a victory. Nobody ever wins in a situation like this. The only thing that can happen is that the parties involved can now get the opportunity to move on with their lives.”

Elrington explained that because Hartin has opted to plead guilty immediately, the judge is expected to stick to his word of giving her a non-custodial sentence.

“That is the purpose of a sentence indication hearing, so once the judge indicates that a sentence indication hearing, that is the highest that he can go,” he added.