Tonight, Jasmine Hartin is back at the Kolbe Central Prison in Hattieville after her bail was revoked.
This follows a dramatic, whirlwind week for the 32 year old Canadian who is accused of the negligence manslaughter of Police Superintendent Henry Jemmott.
She was bailed for that manslaughter charge two weeks ago - but one of the terms of her bail was that she must quote, "continue to be of good behaviour".
But Hartin flipped the script on her former partner Andrew Ashcroft when she skipped out of the Cayo hideaway that the Ashcroft Alliance had provided for her. She went rogue and ended up at the place she used to call home with her former partner, Andrew, the Grand Colony Resort. She was demanding to see her children - but ended up facing a charge of common assault against an employee.
She was arrested on that charge on San Ignacio yesterday - then transferred to the Queen Street police station last night - and this morning, whisked by boat out to San Pedro where she was charged for assault and for drug possession - a charge dating back to the morning when she claims to have accidentally killed Jemmott. At that time Police allegedly found 0.4 grams of suspected cocaine in her purse - which is now being described as a substance that is yet to be tested.
With that, the stage was set to revoke her bail - and that situation was confirmed when the Manager of the Grand Colony wrote the Supreme Court to inform the judge that they were immediately withdrawing the cash deposit and the surety.
That's a "go straight to jail card" played by the Alliance and it led Hartin to back to Belize City before her bail judge, Hebert Lord at the Supreme Court this afternoon where Cherisse Halsall picks up the story:
Meet Jasmine Hartin's New Attorney.
Richard "Dickie" Bradley, Attorney At Law
"This is persecution. This is not prosecution and if they can do that to somebody who the international media is following and who was the darling of the social elite just a few weeks ago, you could imagine what they'd do to the rest of us."
Hatin, who has ditched her former attorney Godfrey Smith secured Dickie Bradley's services this morning ahead of her arraignment for common assault.
Richard "Dickie" Bradley, Attorney At Law
"A common assault is a petty offense, nobody goes to jail for common assault. They are charged a little $25 and given time to pay. Miss Hartin remains in custody, her mother could not make contact with her. They found out after the fact that she was secreted out the back door of the station and taken to another station in another place. Eventually she was discovered in Queen Street Police Station in Belize City this morning. She was then taken from the Queen Street Police Station out to the San Pedro Magistrate court where 2 charges were read to her. More than likely under instructions the prosecutor is a good and decent officer was instructed to oppose any grant of bail, do you believe that. For a minor charge of 0.4 grams of some substance which has not yet been tested and for a common assault. They are opposing bail. In other words take away your liberty. In any event the magistrate quite properly granted bail."
But while Hartin got that minor bail a letter was being drafted for the revocation of the previous $30,000.00 plus surety with which she'd initially been freed.
And Bradley in his famous rambling raconteur style went on to illustrate why he feels that Jasmine's situation is incredibly unjust
Richard "Dickie" Bradley, Attorney At Law
"Excuse me? We still live the rule of law. I am really shocked by what is happening. She is being moved from station to station at night. This is not some "Gestapo" country, we don't behave like that. You imagine if you are a little poor black boy what they would do to you. In any event you are in court, we had a duty and we pointed out to the judge, yes, the surety has a right to request that I want to withdraw my thing, we don't have a problem with that. You can't ambush people. Don't allow that to happen, because what that amounts to is a Monopoly [game] thing called "Go straight to Jail". That's what they are doing. When it appeared that our submission to his lordship Herbert Lord, the judge was going to succeed, he appreciate that you can't ambush people. That is not fair, then they bring up a next thing... you know what your honor, this lady gone at magistrate court today and they read charge for her.... no man, what does one thing has to do with the next? There is an application by the man who signed. I could have questioned him in the court, but he wouldn't have like what I would have put to him, because this is an injustice that is going on. The court has made an order that the gentleman who signed bail has come to the court and ask for it to be withdrawn, the court agrees that they are going to allow him to withdraw. The court is saying that Miss Hartin is still entitled that his lordship's original bail order stands. She has been offered bail and that she is entitled to replace that surety at any time and that will be allowed."
And while one jounalist pushed Jasmine for a comment she said far less than she did yesterday.
Reporter:
"Miss. Hartin do you have anything to say?"
Jasmine Hartin, Remanded
"I have a lot to say but I just can't say it right now, but soon."
And while Jasmine Hartin is back in jail tonight, with her bail revoked, yesterday in Cayo she told Cherisse Halsall that she'd prefer to be in jail rather than estranged from her children:
Jasmine Hartin, Arrested for Common Assault "Prison is easier than being away from my children. I would go to prison every day if it meant that I could have my kids. This is horrible the worst ever that he's done to me is take my kids from me right now. And now I'm being detained again."
