Tonight, the woman who killed Superintendent Henry Jemmoth - 32 year old Canadian Jasmin Hartin is back in police custody. She is expected to be brought into Belize City from Caye Caulker where police were looking for her from last night. She had to go into the station today to make her daily sign in - since she is on bail for Jemmoth's manslaughter - and that is when she was detained.

When she gets to Belize City, police at CIB will question her about the alleged contract killing taken out on the lives of a magistrate and the commissioner of police.

And while we broke this story two days ago without disclosing any names - tonight we can report her name because she told her story to Cherisse Halsall - and it is a very involved one.

Hartin says she is being set up in this alleged conspiracy to commit murder.

Hartin says that all this comes after she filed a report against a man she calls her former maintenance worker whom she claims was attempting to blackmail and extort her.

That said maintenance worker, Lionel Neal filed a counter-report claiming to have been involved with Hartin for the better part of 7 months. Tonight, this tale of he said she said that has put Jasmine Hartin in a now familiar place: back behind bars in a police holding cell.

Last night via telephone she gave us her version of the events that have her back behind bars tonight:

Jasmine Hartin - Wanted for Questioning
"Cherisse I'm going to be extremely real with you, part of this report that I gave to the police yesterday morning at the Caye Caulker police station was that I am being blackmailed by a crazy man, I'd like to file a report, the uttered death threats, he sexually assaulted me and he said he was exactly going to go to Chester Williams, Noble, Cowo and he said he was going to tell them that I murder Henry Jemmot and that I also plotted to kill other people. He mentioned a couple other names at the time, like 3 or 4 people that I allegedly put a hit on, I'm like this is absurd, so I made sure, I went to the police station, I filled the report, he was detained later that day, it's the biggest made up story ever, there is no grounds, no proof, nothing and I am not going into that police station without my lawyer present because this is an invented designed attack on me to paint me bad. I had the police at my house twice today, calling me from my mom's phone telling me to come into the station and I said listen, I've been told not to come down there and answer any questions without my lawyer present, it's already after 6 o'clock at night, I can get hold of Dickie tomorrow, we can come to the station to answer any questions you have because this is game they always play, they try to bring you to the station at night so that I have to spend the night in a cell. We don't know what tomorrow holds because one crazy man is spreading lies about me and I've shown the police and made my own police report before he had this meeting to spread these lies, I told the officers he was going to, it was printed and signed in filed and I filed the report to arrest him and seek court action against this man."

Tangled Web: Hartin's Accuser Also Charged

And she did seek court action. 37-year-old Lionel "Piggy" Neal was detained two days ago and brought into the city this morning. He appeared before magistrate Sharon Fraser where he was read charges of burglary with intent to rape and using threatening words.

This afternoon he pleaded not guilty alleging he had no need to commit burglary since he and Hartin are lovers. In his statement he referred to her as his "common law" and said that they'd been living together for 7 months.

He was granted bail in the sum of $2,500 plus one surety of the same which he was able to meet by 2:00 this afternoon.

There are, however, the condition's to Neal's bail. He's been told by the court to stay away from Hartin, her property and any of her family members, and moreover, he was ordered to stay away from Caye Caulker. But he will have to return there with a police escort to get his possessions.

Further allegations being made against Neal by Hartin were that he threatened to break her nose, kill her, and burn her house down.

His counter allegations against Hartin are that she used cocaine regularly and on at least one occasion made threats against several prominent officials saying quote: "I wish these (BLANK) would all die."

Lionel "Piggy" Neal's next court date is set for July 19, 2022.

Neal is well known to police; in 2012 Neal walked from the murder of a man he had allegedly shot on Cairo street, Belize City.

We note that his mother says he was only charged for burglary in this case.

Compol Says Hartin Had Been Talking To People

And while Lionel Neal has his story - and a 3 page statement that he gave to police, the Commissioner of Police - who was supposedly named as one of the targets of the hit - also has his account.

The press spoke with him this afternoon in Belmopan at another event. We asked him about the police's investigation into the very serious allegation that Hartin tried to hire members of a Belize City gang to execute a contract killing against him and a magistrate.

He told us that according to the inquiries from the police so far, it appears that, at the very least, there was some sort of discussion about it:

Reporter
"Her lawyer has come forward to say that her house was ransacked, searched and she was detained for questioning but there's no concrete evidence to support that claim. He is saying that allegedly this assertion was made by someone who is mentally challenged. What can you share about that and what's your take on that?"

Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"I would understand that her lawyer is trained in law and not trained in mental health for him to have been able to say that he suffers from mental disability, I'm not aware of that but be that as it may, if it is that she had made the threat or not, it is a matter for us to investigate and to make sure we do not take nothing for granted. As I've said before in other interviews to other media houses, we're not going to take nothing for granted and we will do what needs to be done to ensure that the threat is neutralized and that includes ensuring that the alleged marker of the threat is brought into police custody and properly interviewed. Those who we believe have been hired out to carry the hit, they too have been brought into custody and interview and so everything that needs to be done to ensure that we get to the bottom of this and I don't expect my good friend to say other wise, he's the lawyer for her and he certainly will have to hold the best interest of his client at heart, he's being paid for that, so I don't expect him to say otherwise."

Daniel Ortiz
"Sir is there as far as the investigators have seen so far, credibility to the allegation?"

Chester Williams
"Well certainly it would appear there was some talking at the very least and you know things normally start from a talk or you cultivate things in your mind and then from there it comes to fruition and the fact there was some talking, means that there is some credibility to it and that's the reason why I've said it is important for us to get to the bottom of it and do not take it for granted."

Hartin Handcuffed, All Smiles

We told you that Jasmine Hartin was detained today in Caye Caulker over allegations of her involvement in a conspiracy to murder.

Well, she was brought into the city 10 minutes ago at the wharf near Bottom Dalla store where a police escort from the Queen Street station was waiting for her.

She could be seen smiling as the female police corporal placed the handcuffs on her.

She will now be questioned by police about her involvement in what the Commissioner has referred to as quote: "some talking" in relation to the alleged hit placed on him and a magistrate.

Channel 7

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Jasmine Hartin detained on allegations of hit on ComPol and a Magistrate

Canadian national Jasmine Hartin, accused of killing Police Superintendent Henry Jemmott, was taken into police custody for possibly being involved in a hit against Commissioner of Police (ComPol) Chester Williams and a Magistrate. Hartin, who lives in Caye Caulker, denies the allegation saying that a disgruntled former maintenance worker made up the story. She has been transported to Belize City for questioning as the investigation continues.

Hartin shared with the media that the accusations against her started after filing a report against Lionel Neal. Hartin claims Neal sexually assaulted her during a burglary at her Caye Caulker home. Hartin said Neal threatened her by telling police she intentionally killed Jemmott and planned to kill other people. “It’s the biggest made-up story ever, there are no grounds, no proof, nothing,” said Hartin.

Click here to read the rest of the article in the San Pedro Sun

Story in the Daily Mail
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ring-hit-Belize-police-commissioner.html

Did “Piggy” Implicate Jasmine In Contract Killing Setup?

Tonight, Canadian Jasmine Hartin remains in custody at the CIB Office in Belize City. She's there for questioning about a hit she allegedly put out on family court magistrate Dale Cayetano and Commissioner of Police Chester Williams. We stress she is only there for questioning - but the man who linked her to a possible contract killing is her former boyfriend Lionel Neal.

After she had him detained for making threats to her, breaking into her home and performing lewd sexual acts in her bedroom without her approval - he was arrested and charged for burglary with intent to rape and threatening words.

But, after he was detained, he gave the police a whole other story that he has been her personal security turned live-in intimate partner for the better part of 7 months. He also claimed that while under the influence Hartin would make wild threats against prominent Belizean officials.

So, who's making stuff up, and who isn't and is anyone actually hiring a criminal gang to carry out a contract killing? Today, I caught up with Lionel "Piggy" Neal and asked him squarely what Jasmine Hartin did or didn't say about taking out a hit on anyone's life:

Cherisse Halsall:
"I've read your police report and the one thing I see as an allegation in the police report is that she'll get high on ****** and she'll shout, quote: " I wish all these ****** (BLEEP) would dead."

"Did you see Jasmine Hartin order a hit on either a magistrate or the commissioner of police? Is that not something you witnessed?"

Lionel "Piggy" Neal, Accused of burglary, rape, and threatening words
"First of all, when she gets drunk and on coke, she would curse up and, "I hate all the, I wish all these **M** (BLEEP) would dead...I want to kill them..." and afterwards she texts them, because I have the texts. about Chester, Noble, Cowo and there are several peoples."

Cherisse Halsall:
"But in terms of her contracting someone to commit murder, that isn't something you witnessed?"

Lionel "Piggy" Neal
"Well, the actual point is that she said she would want to do it but I see her intentions if she would have the money she would do it so she would reach out to several individuals in the street. I know she could do it."

Cherisse Halsall:
"Chester has said that the reason he is questioning Jasmine right now is that there was some talking and that talking is what starts whatever but you are saying that Jasmine was, if anything, shopping for a gunman but not actually committing to ordering a hit?"

Lionel "Piggy" Neal
"Actually, I don't know about ordering a hit, I don't know about ordering a hit but she brings up that she wants to kill him you know and with the magistrate and her husband, I mean her baby's dad even him and his friend."

And while he makes some serious claims about his ex, we stress that Jasmin Hartin in a voice note to me yesterday flatly refuted his allegations:

Jasmine Hartin, Wanted for Questioning
"It's the biggest made up story ever there are no grounds, no proof, nothing and I am not going into that police station without my lawyer present because this is an invented designed attack on me to paint me bad."

Hartin Attorney Says Contract Killing Allegations Border On The Ridiculous

As we now know - she did not, after all, end up going in with her attorney - Dickie Bradley. Instead she was detained in Caye Caulker when she went for her mandatory bail sign in - and then transported to Belize City just after 6:00 pm - where she was placed in cuffs and taken to the Queen street station. She remains there tonight.

But her attorney did turn up to visit her in the cell block today - and after that he spoke to me at the Courthouse about the very serious allegations - and what he says is a situation bordering on the ridiculous:

Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"This is a serious matter because threatening to kill persons is not to be taken lightly. When the threat is to kill the Commissioner of police it can be taken lightly. Nobody will try to kill the commissioner of police. The last people that just recklessly fired shots in his direction, he chased them down in the southside of Belize City."

Cherisse Halsall:
"But Sir we understand that it's not the commissioner of police, allegations also say that this was a double hit, the commissioner and a magistrate."

Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"Well first of all it's not the magistrate in front of whom she has criminal charges. Her serious charge of manslaughter has already been submitted to the supreme court so it would be the wrong time to put a hit on the magistrate. I don't want to make too light of a situation which is bordering on the ridiculous. The police do have a duty to look into any allegation of a serious nature. The allegation arose because in our view Ms Hartin went to the police station and made a report against the person who had been saying to her that if she don't money up he will do those exact things that he did turn around and did. So, the minute the public gets a little bit of understanding that they are trying to shake her down that it's something we're well I will do this if you don't drop some money that is the allegation against him. Ms Hartin went to the police station and gave a lengthy statement against my advice. She gave the statement because she is on a small island and she knew what she was facing so she did that. After that had happened when the person found out he then went and did exactly what he threatened he would do. That is the allegation; give me a break see. But the commissioner of police can't brush it one side because when other persons come on the allegations they will say, oh because you had brushed across your one you want to brush across my one so he has to at least go through the procedure to see if there is any credibility, any legitimacy to what is happening."

"I've just come from the station, the Queen Street police station where she is and she said she had not been given any water and she had not gotten any food. Those things might look minor but you trust me when your locked u and so a little water goes a long way."

Bradley also told us that, while he's asked the commissioner to look into the matter, there is no indication that quote: "those trying to crush [Hartin]" are in any way behind the actions of Lionel Neal.

Is Piggy Crazy

And while Bradley doesn't believe that, he and his client have called Neal mentally unstable.

Neal refuted that today by asking for a psych analysis and explaining that he isn't extorting her either. He says he's simply asking Hartin to return the money that he gave her.

Cherisse Halsall:
"How do you feel or how do you respond to the fact that Jasmine says that you're both mentally ill and that you have to feel rejected by her?"

Lionel "Piggy" Neal, Accused of burglary, rape, and threatening words
"Well..."

Cherisse Halsall:
"Do you feel rejected?"

Lionel "Piggy" Neal, Accused of burglary, rape, and threatening words
"I feel glad I got out of that life before I become the next victim. I would prefer right now to go and see a doctor checkup and see if I am crazy or something like what Mr. Dickie says."

Cherisse Halsall:
"I have to ask, Jasmine says in her report that you had promised that you would go to jail would come to the police and the wider public to mess her up. Isn't that what you are doing?"

Lionel "Piggy" Neal, Accused of burglary, rape, and threatening words
"No, no, no it started off from the whatever we had the night the argument and stuff because I asked her because I got money from people to do jobs in the state and stuff so I gave her my money and I told her just give me my money and let me go the night. So, she slapped me the night and I didn't want to because I don't hit females unless you really go to that level and the guys who were at the house cranked a gun and like just go man the girl like, so I was like let me get my stuff from out of her room which is you know in the house and my money, my I.D.'s and yeah so after that that is when we talked and I told her just give me the money, yeah and I'm going. So she said you know what something is wrong with you, you crazy, I won't give you any money and she said I'm going to make you go to jail."

"It's like a little small group who attacked me and were saying you're lying and you're acting on this lady because she doesn't want you so we were in a relationship, common sense."

Did “Piggy” Threaten Hartin

And whether they were or they weren't, once the honeymoon was over, Neal seemed adamant about putting Hartin in jail. This recording of a phone call between the two provided to 7news by Hartin contains a heated exchange and a threat:

Voice of: Lionel "Piggy" Neal, Accused of burglary, rape, and threatening words
"I Just leave her at the office and I tell her I am going to Roberta Usher and she bawl and said please...."

Voice of: Jasmine Hartin
"Lionel, you need to get mental help, you're making so many lies against me and you're acting completely insane."

Voice of: Lionel "Piggy" Neal
"No, no, I will send you to jail, if you don't give me my money."

Voice of: Jasmine Hartin
"You're acting like a crazy person."

Piggy Says Jasmin Was His Partner

And while Hartin and Neal now have substantial differences of interpretation about the factual circumstances of their relationship - Neal maintains he could not have broken into her home or committed any lewd act in her bedroom because they were intimate partners. He detailed what he calls the true nature of their relationship:

Lionel "Piggy" Neal, Accused of burglary, rape, and threatening words
"I would say to the longest day I live I need that young lady to get help and I will make sure I do the right thing if so be to the case to witness everything she says because that's a total lie. I have access to the house. I live there. Her room is my room, she and I sleep together I could tell you how the whole room looks, how her bathroom is where her clothes are, where my clothes are in the closet, you know. So, I actually still have a few clothes right now there so how could I ever burglarize. which in the police didn't do any investigation to see where is the house burglarized. Which part of her room broke. I could never go and do that when I'm having sex with you for 7 months."

Like we said, many sides to this story - but tonight charges stand against Neal - and he is out on bail - and Hartin remains detained for questioning and there is no clarity on whether she will be made to face any charges for this allegation.

But, she still does of course face charges for the manslaughter of Superintendent Henry Jemmott - and that is expected to be heard in the Supreme Court in the next criminal session - which is in June of this year.

Channel 7

Jasmine Got Free On Friday Night

After a little more than 24 hours in police custody last week, Jasmine Hartin was released from the Queen Street police station on Friday night.

Reports on Saturday morning said she was back on Caye Caulker.

We know that a magistrate on Wednesday barred Lionel "Piggy" Neal from returning to Caye Caulker without a police escort, and then only to collect the remainder of the items that he claims remain in Hartin's home.

For her part, Hartin continues to attend family court where she and ex-partner Andrew are battling for custody of 5-year-old twins Charlie and Elle.

Reports tonight are that Hartin and her attorney left the courtroom today after Magistrate Dale Cayetano refused to recuse himself from the case. Hartin's attorney argued that in light of the allegations aired in the public domain last week as well as his alleged familial connection to Lionel "Piggy" Neal it was no longer appropriate for Cayetano to rule on the couple's custody matter.

Cayetano for his part is reported to have said that the allegations against Hartin are not something he takes seriously.

Channel 7

Jasmin Hartin Admits to Lie

Saturday will make it one year since Superintendent of Police Henry Jemmoth was killed by Jasmine Hartin on a San Pedro pier.

His family will be having a memorial mass followed by an observance known as a Beluria at the family home.

And while they mourn, Discovery Plus UK will premier a documentary called "One Bullet in Belize" in which Jasmin Hartin again gives an in depth account of what happened that night one year ago in San Pedro.

She first did this last year for CBS 48 hours - but this time she makes an important new admission. In a clip which has been posted on the Daily Mail website, she finally admits that after it happened she first told police that Jemmoth had been shot by men passing in a boat. She had initially denied saying that, but is now admitting to lying:

Jasmine Hartin
"I was so in shock when I initially said that, that I barely remember what I said, to be honest. I regret I should have probably just be honest from the moment. But it doesn't make sense why I said that. I don't know why I said that. I am exhausted, I'm in shock, I'm scared, I'm covered in my friend's blood - I don't know. You can't explain why people do things when they're shock."

Hartin could go to trial for the manslaughter of Jemmoth later this year.

Channel 7

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Jasmine Hartin Loses Custody Battle for her Twins

Canadian national Jasmine Hartin has lost the custody battle for the five-year-old twins she shares with Andrew Ashcroft. News Five has confirmed that on Wednesday, Director of the Belize Family Court, Dale Cayetano handed down a decision, granting legal custody of the children to Andrew Ashcroft. That decision was handed down at the Belize Family Court, and we have confirmed that Hartin and her attorney were absent from the hearing, despite being notified of the court date. Contrary to what is reported elsewhere, Hartin has not been stripped of visitation rights. We can confirm that Hartin’s attorney has already applied to the Supreme Court to dismiss the ruling, claiming judgmental bias on the part of the Family Court Director, who along with Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, was the subject of an alleged hit purportedly conspired by Hartin herself. The legal battle for the custody of the twins began ten months ago back in July 2021, following the shooting death of senior cop Henry Jemmott, for which Hartin was charged with Manslaughter.

The Shooting Death of Henry Jemmott, One Year Later

Tomorrow marks one year since the shooting death of senior cop Henry Jemmott, which occurred in San Pedro on May twenty-eighth, 2021. His family continues to mourn his death, as his alleged killer, Jasmine Hartin goes back and forth to court for a charge of manslaughter which was slapped on her following the incident. This weekend, a Discovery Plus documentary is scheduled to be aired on the incident where Hartin for the first time admits to lying initially and gives a recount of what happen on that tragic morning. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Speculation remains abound about what really happened on that pier in San Pedro that morning when senior cop, Superintendent Henry Jemmott was shot dead. But tonight, the woman accused of the manslaughter of the well-known police officer is breaking her silence once again on what transpired on that tragic morning. Jasmine Hartin says Jemmott wanted her to get comfortable handling a gun.

Jasmine Hartin, Charged with Manslaughter

“I had the magazine. I was just emptying it and reloading it without it being in the weapon. It was like a game to see how fast I could with the magazine and the bullets – take them out and then put them back in. And then when he took the bullets and put them to his left, I had the empty magazine, fully empty and I popped it in and then I put it down. We were sitting on the side of the dock, both of our feet were over the dock. So I had the weapon on my right, the bullets to the left of Henry.”

Immediately following the fatal shooting on May twenty-eighth, 2021, news spread like wildfire that Superintendent Jemmott was dead, shot in the head as he socialized on a pier in San Pedro with a woman, who was later identified as Jasmine Hartin.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police [File: May 28 ^th , 2021]

“Mister Jemmott and a female were socialising on a pier somewhere in San Pedro; this was after 12:30 a.m. thereabouts, which would be during curfew time when one single gunshot was heard. Upon investigating, police found the female on a pier and she had what appeared to be blood on her arms and on her clothing.  And inside the waters, right near the pier, police recovered the lifeless body of Mister Jemmoth, with one apparent gunshot wound behind the right ear.”

As the night unfolded, the Canadian national says that she ended up behind Jemmott massaging his shoulders and then while attempting to handover the gun to the senior cop, the gun went off.

Jasmine Hartin

“I lean forward, I pick it up, I am trying to get the magazine out; I am still sitting, he is still sitting. I am using the moon to see and I am pushing to get the magazine out and it was like it was stuck. I don’t remember touching the trigger at all. Next thing I know, the gun goes off.”

It contradicts initial statements made by Hartin that a gunman in a kayak had fired shots in their direction. She says she lied out of panic.

Gerri Rella, Owner, Mata Rocks Resort & Pier

“One of the grist stories that we heard that was attributed to Jasmine was that there was a paddle by shooting that someone paddled by in a kayak and shot him.”

Sister of Henry Jemmott

“Everything was so wrong. The media said that oh she said it was a passing boat and someone fired a shot.”

Jasmine Hartin

“Once the adrenalin settled down, once I calmed down, once everything hit me then I was like no, I remember what happened. It was an accident.”

Sister of Henry Jemmott

“Jasmine Hartin changed her stories. Now who knows when she is actually telling the truth? Who can believe her?”

Channel 5