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.
