Socialite Jasmine Hartin was locked up in a sweltering prison in Belize on Wednesday along with some of the Central American country’s most wanted criminals when her lawyers hit back against claims she tried to abscond, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.
The heat was so bad that she had to strip down to her bra and panties in the prison, according to police sources.
The convicted cop killer insists she did nothing wrong when she tried to enter Mexico on Tuesday on a Canadian-issued travel document but was taken into custody in the crime-ridden border town of Corozal.
Initial reports suggested that Hartin, 34, a Canadian citizen, was arrested for attempting to flee Belize without paying the $75,000 Belize dollar fine – $37,000 US – imposed on her for the accidental shooting death of superintendent Henry Jemmott in May 2021.
But when Hartin presented a trove of documents proving she transferred the money to her lawyer in accordance with the court’s instructions, authorities instead began investigating the travel document she had obtained from the Canadian consulate, it is alleged. .
Jasmine Hartin has been detained at a border checkpoint after trying to leave Belize following her trial for the May 2021 murder of police officer Henry Jemmott
DailyMail.com has obtained exclusive copies of the Canadian travel documents to illustrate their authenticity. Hartin surrendered her passport after Jemmott’s murder, but has not yet returned it
DailyMail.com can reveal she is locked in a sweltering prison where she was forced to strip down to her underwear in an attempt to keep her cool
Hartin’s supporters chose to pay the fine in cash on Wednesday to try to secure her release.
They provided police with a receipt for the full amount, but Hartin was still behind bars early Wednesday night, charged with no crime.
Hartin had avoided jail time but was ordered to pay $37,000 after she shot and killed the father of five, 42-year-old Henry Jemmott, in 2021
They also provided DailyMail.com with exclusive copies of the Canadian travel documents to illustrate their authenticity. Hartin surrendered her passport after Jemmott’s murder, but has not yet returned it.
Meanwhile, police sources told the DailyMail.com that this morning Hartin was forced to strip down to her underwear in an attempt to stay cool as temperatures in Corozal rose to 92F.
The small town jail has a handful of stark concrete cells, several of which are currently occupied by suspects in the murder of a young father in the nearby village of Libertad.
Kurtis Usher was gunned down on his doorstep Monday when mobsters loaded assault rifles into his home and grazed his three-year-old son Kayjay while valiantly protected by Usher’s partner Jasmine Williamson.
The same crew is suspected of trying to kill another couple a day later when they sprayed their house and car with bullets. The pair managed to duck and survive the onslaught of .223 bullets.
Corozal police were also embroiled in a scandal last August when clumsy officers forgot to take a prisoner out of their van in “extreme heat.”
But by the time they realized their mistake – some 13 hours later – Derrick Uh, 20, who had been arrested for grabbing a woman’s buttocks, had died of heat stroke.
Jasmine Hartin was spotted at a fruit stand in Belize last month
Hartin is pictured in Belize Jail while incarcerated awaiting trial for the murder of Jemmott
Henry Jemmott, the police chief who was shot by Hartin, pictured with his family, widow Romit Wilson and children from left: Henry, Jemarie and Keyannie
The receipt that Hartin’s supporters say proves she paid her fine before attempting to leave the Central American country
Jemmott was killed by a gunshot to the head while he and Hartin drank together late at night on a pier in 2021, near a luxury hotel owned by her then-partner Andrew Ashcroft on the island of Ambergris Caye.
Hartin’s former partner Andrew Ashcroft has said Hartin was “very drunk” the night of the incident.
Hartin claimed that Jemmott offered to teach her how to use his Glock-17 pistol for her protection.
She cried in court as she entered a guilty plea to negligent homicide at the last minute before her trial.
Jemmott’s widow Romit Wilson, 39, criticized Hartin’s behavior during the trial, accusing the socialite of conducting an “international PR campaign.”
Wilson, who had three children with Jemmott, broke her silence to tell DailyMail.com that Hartin had tried to portray herself as the victim.
She previously said, “I haven’t given interviews to media houses since the day Henry was killed.
While awaiting trial on bail, Hartin gave several interviews in print and on camera. She was also featured in the documentary One Bullet in Belize on the American streaming service Discovery+.
Hartin has detailed how she “accidentally” shot the officer while they were enjoying drinks late at night. She said she crawled out from under the heavyset officer and was covered in blood.
Her former partner Ashcroft, the son of British billionaire Lord Michael Ascroft, has said Hartin was “very drunk” on the night of the incident.
Ashcroft’s claims contradicted Hartin’s claim that she had only had a few drinks and was not drunk the night Jemmott was killed.
The couple separated shortly after the incident and have been embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their twin children ever since.