JASMINE Hartin was cheered by inmates who celebrated her as the "first lady to kill a cop" after she allegedly shot a police chief, according to an ex-inmate.
The 38-year-old daughter-in-law of British billionaire Lord Ashcroft has been charged with manslaughter by negligence over the fatal shooting of a police superintendent in Belize.
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Hartin was detained following the discovery of the body of Henry Jemmott on a dock in San Pedro.
The mum-of-two reportedly insisted she shot Jemmott by accident. He had suffered a single gunshot wound to the head.
Police Commissioner Chester Williams said a single gunshot was heard and cops found a woman on a pier with what appeared to be blood on her arms and on her clothing.
The gun involved belonged to Jemmott.
An inmate – identified only as Jose – told the Daily Mail that he "applauded" Hartin after learning that she had allegedly killed a cop, and praised her for being "the first lady here" to allegedly do so.
"The rest of the guys applauded her and said you have guts to do something like that," the 48-year-old said.
He said he was pleased to hear of the cop's death, as he had previously searched him for drugs, and had evicted him from the island back in 2019.
She faces another week inside the hell hole jail where she is being kept in Belize.
A judge is yet to decide if Hartin will be released on bail, but she was ordered to stay behind bars over the weekend – and possibly until June 11, according to the Daily Beast.
'LAUGHING AT HER'
Jose also claimed Hartin threw a tantrum because prison staff wouldn't let her smoke or access her "pills" when she was taken into custody at San Pedro police station on Friday.
"They have a cell for the ladies and a cell for the men. I was right next to her. She looked really f**ked up," he said.
"She was pissed off and cussing up the cops saying, 'you motherf***ers, what the f**k is wrong with you guys', because she wanted to smoke a cigarette.
"The cops didn't want her to smoke so she said, I need my f***ing pills.
"The cops didn't want her to have her pills either. They were laughing at her.
"Afterwards she told me who she is and that she has a hotel. They took her out to bathe, gave her clothes, they took her out to test for the gunpowder."
Jose claimed to have seen Hartin with blood on her clothes when she was taken into the cell.
The ex-inmate had been in custody after breaching a Covid curfew, he added.
"I asked her 'did you do it,' she said 'no'. She just told me a boat passed and shot him," Jose claimed, according to the Daily Mail.
"I asked how blood was on her clothes and she told me the guy dropped on her. She said he fell on her and she shook him off.
"I wanted to know what was going on between them. She said they were friends. Lovers? 'No'."
Jose also expressed his surprise at seeing a wealthy white woman in custody in Belize.
The scorpion-infested jail where she is being held stands in sharp contrast to the luxury lifestyle she's used to.
Now housed in one of the world’s toughest prisons, her cell is is a world away from the world of boutique hotels and champagne.
Hartin reportedly alleged that she had been giving Henry Jemmott a massage on a pier after a boozy night out when she attempted to hand his service pistol, a Glock, back to him and it suddenly fired.
The Canadian-born woman is a former high-end estate agent who sold luxury properties to wealthy foreigners drawn by Belize’s stunning beaches.
Lord Ashcroft – whose net worth is estimated at £2.1billion – is a major property owner in the central American country, where he has been based since the early 1980s.
Hartin and husband Andrew, 43, recently opened the Alaia Belize Autograph Collection luxury resort.
It offers "masterfully crafted" holiday villas that feature beachside terraces, private plunge pools and a concierge service with rates starting starts at $2,239 a night.
If convicted, Hartin faces a maximum five years' prison, the Daily Mail reports.
The paper also claims her punishment could just be a fine of $10,000.
Hartin's attorney, Godfrey Smith, said: "The charge is manslaughter by negligence. Bail has been denied. We appeal to the Supreme Court as is normal."
After Hartin was taken into custody last Friday, police complained that she was allegedly "not helping" as they tried to investigate what had happened.
The devastated sister of the dead cop has demanded she face a murder charge instead of manslaughter by negligence.
Marie Jemmott Tzul, who is currently looking after her brother's five kids, said: "I am disappointed in the police department and that's not only my opinion but it's a consensus of my family, his friends and the general Belizean people."
She also told 7 News Belize: "I had faith in all the police department.
"It's one of their own and… with due respect to them, I think they should have took that to court as murder and let the court decide.
"That's my humble and honest opinion.
"It's a big disrespect to my brother who have served for 23 years plus and if it was anybody in his shoes, if the tables were turned, they would have done the correct thing."
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