Posted: Thursday, June 8, 2023. 12:19 pm CST.
By Aaron Humes: On Wednesday evening, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said Jasmine Hartin would be released from custody in Corozal Town due to insufficient evidence after Tuesday’s incident at the Northern Border.
“Having conducted the investigation, looking at the court order and the statements recorded, there [is] insufficient evident to prosecute Hartin for any offense. Especially since the entire fine has been paid. While there were some discrepancies with the declaration it was clear she was acting on the advise [sic] of her attorney who she had all reason to believe,” Williams told reporters.
Earlier, he said police suspected Hartin of making a false statement on her declaration to Canadian authorities concerning the status of her passport. According to Williams, it concerned her saying that she had paid her $75,000 fine on the charge of manslaughter by negligence for which she pleaded guilty – and therefore should have gotten her passport back – when in fact the court had yet to see the money.
The Commissioner said she would have needed to pay at least $25,000 to get back her passport and be able to travel, so he is curious as to what she may have told Canadian authorities to receive the temporary travel document that she attempted to use to cross the border. As he pointed out, such documents can only be obtained when a passport is lost or stolen, not when it has been confiscated by authorities in connection with a criminal case.
But Hartin’s attorney in this matter, Orson Elrington, thinks his client may have a case for wrongful detention on the basis that the delay in payment was with the banks, not with his client, and that police and Immigration had no real reason to hold her as their representatives at the border supposedly admitted.
Elrington reiterated that Hartin has made Belize her home and once she has taken care of some “emergency” matters out of the country, she will be back to fulfill the remainder of her court sentence, including 300 hours of community service, the making of a video announcement concerning her error and what she learned, and the payment of compensation to Henry Jemmott’s family.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.
© 2023, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.
Comments