In the early hours of May 28, Hartin and Jemmott were socializing on a dock outside a resort on the island of Ambergris Caye, one of the Caribbean’s top tourist destinations. “It’s a big disrespect to my brother who has served 23 years plus,” she added. “And that’s not only my opinion but the consensus of my family, his friends and the general Belizean people.” “I would say that I’m disappointed in the police department,” said Marie Jemmott Tzul, a sister who is also a cop, in an interview with local news. Jemmott’s family said that the charge of manslaughter is insufficient and have called for Hartin to be charged with murder. “The truth is that Belize's attitude towards non-Black or non-people of color is more favorable than towards those of color,” added Matura. “In the system you have to follow all the protocols and procedures that you would have followed with any black person that you arrest, and that clearly is not happening,” said Matura, who noted that Hartin allegedly was carrying a small amount of cocaine in her purse when police arrived at the scene, but she has not been charged with drug possession. The contrast between how Hartin has been treated by police compared with Belizeans of color in similar circumstances has made some conclude that race is also a factor. “Adding to it is the fact that the police have not acted against Jasmine the way that they've acted with the regular Belizean.” “There is massive distrust in how it has been dealt with,” said Audrey Matura, a lawyer and activist. Many say Belize’s is a corrupt system that has different sets of rules for the wealthy and the poor. The case pits the Belizean justice system against one of the country’s most powerful families, and has raised doubts about the chances of an impartial processing of the case. The fortune of Lord Ashcroft, a dual citizen of the UK and Belize, rivals the entire gross domestic product of the small Caribbean nation of roughly 400,000 citizens. Hartin has dismissed the comments, calling them "ridiculous.Hartin, 32, is the partner of Andrew Ashcroft, 43, the youngest son of Lord Michael Ashcroft, a major donor and former deputy chairman of Britain’s Conservative Party. "Jasmine Hartin should be charged with murder, not manslaughter," she said. Jemmott's sister, Cherry, who is also a police officer in Belize, has long accused Hartin of killing her brother "execution-style." She believes prosecutors went easy on her because of her wealth and proximity to power. But, consciously, did I pull the trigger? No," she said. I, I, I mean, it was an accident or the gun misfired. When asked if she had her finger around the trigger, Hartin said she didn't think she had. Hartin told CBS's 48 Hours that she was "trying to get the magazine out" and the "next thing I know, the gun went off." They ended up at the pier where she'd given him a shoulder massage and he tried to teach her how to load and unload the magazine and bullets from his service pistol, a Glock 17. She eventually admitted she and Jemmott met up for a night of drinking. Hartin initially claimed Jemmott had been shot by someone from a passing boat but changed her story after authorities told her she would be charged with cocaine possession as well. SOCIALITE ACCUSED OF KILLING BELIZE POLICE OFFICER CLAIMS SHE IS A VICTIM OF HUSBAND'S WEALTHY FAMILY Henry Jemmott's lifeless body was found floating nearby in the water. She was charged in June with manslaughter by negligence after police found her with blood on her clothing and arms on a dock. The mother of two, 32, is the daughter-in-law of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft. Jasmine Hartin, the Canadian socialite at the center of an international manslaughter investigation, called the fatal shooting of her friend, a Belizean police officer, a "terrible accident" and insisted she is not the hard-partying "billionairess" that she's been portrayed as, according to a new interview.
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