Canadian socialite Jasmine Hartin has today has been fined £30,000 for shooting a Belizean police chief - but has avoided a prison sentence.
Hartin is the former partner of Andrew Ashcroft - the son of UK businessman Lord Michael Ashcroft - a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party.
The 34-year-old woman was also ordered to carry out 300 hours of community service and told she has to record a video about the dangers of "drinking and making foolish decisions".
She has two children with Andrew, who owns luxury hotels, including one the Belize island of San Pedro - the town in which the police boss' body was found on a dock in May 2021.
The victim, 42-year-old Henry Jemmott, had been shot with his own gun, investigators found.
Hartin had invited the officer, who was a friend, over to her apartment for a drink to discuss her personal security.
They are then believed to have broken the 10pm Covid curfew by walking to a nearby dock where she is said to have offered him a massage for his shoulder pain.
The father of five suffered a bullet wound behind the ear and died of his injuries that same night.
On the night of the killing, the socialite was found with blood on her hands after shooting dead Jemmott with a 9mm round.
According to police documents, the pair, who were friends, were “socialising” at the end of pier when security heard a “loud bang” and raced to the scene at 12:45am.
There they found Hartin “covered in red substance as that of blood” as Jemmott’s lifeless body floated on his back 30ft from the shore.
Hartin's LinkedIn profile lists her as director of lifestyle and experience for Andrew’s luxury Alaia resort, with a previous role as a real estate associate for SANCAS Realty Ltd.
A page on the hotel’s website, which has since been removed, reportedly said: "Along with her husband, Andrew Ashcroft, Jasmine has played an integral role in shaping the vision for Alaia Belize from the very beginning."
In a video posted on the hotel’s YouTube page, Hartin can be seen with her two kids and partner at the resort launch, which was attended by the minister of tourism.
In the same video Andrew, who grew up in Belize as a child and holds dual Belizean and British citizenship, said his family was “100 per cent committed to Belize” and that the children would soon start school there.
Speaking over clips of his children, Andrew says: “For my family this is about the best thing, I mean we are committed as a family. My wife Jasmine, my kids, we are 100 per cent committed to Belize. They start school here this summer.
"We’re going to start a new project here this October called The Alaia Beach Club which will double our key count so we are here to stay and do more investments in Belize. We might have a couple surprises of other projects around Belize we’d like to do.”
Speaking after Mr Jemmott's death, one of his sisters, Marie Jemmott Tzul, had said: "“He had five children and a partner for 14 years. Every time I look at my nieces and my nephews I break down and cry. Please tell us what happened."
Sitting in court today, Judge Ricardo Sandcroft also ordered Hartin to undertake 300 hours of community service with the Young Men's Christian Association and disqualified her from possession of any licence for two years. She must also produce a video telling her story of intoxication and handling a firearm.
Compensation for the family has been left to the civil courts in Belize to determine.
Following the sentence, Hartin hopes she will now be allowed to leave Belize to begin fighting to be reunited with her two children.
She has two children with Andrew Ashcroft, the son of Lord Ashcroft, who has custody of the twins.
The criminal complaint had read: "The body of Henry Jemmott was later retrieved by the police where one apparent gunshot wound was observed at the back of the right ear.
"The clothing of Jasmine which contained red substance as that of blood were retrieved and packaged also her hands which also contained red substance as blood were swabbed."
It added officers retrieved “(1) Glock 17 Pistol …. Along with (1) magazine containing (1) live 9mm round S&B (1) live 9mm rounds S&B found on the dock and (1) Expended shell S&B found inside the barrel of the pistol."
