Jasmine Hartin, the socialite charged with killing a top cop in Belize, is apparently a good shot – as evidenced by newly emerged video of her blasting a watermelon to smithereens with a shotgun.
Hartin, 32, who claims she shot Superintendent Henry Jemmott accidentally while handing him his pistol while drinking together on a pier, is seen in video posted by 7 News Belize.
Wearing a revealing black halter neck top and white shorts, Hartin deftly takes aim at the melon and pulls the trigger, disintegrating the fruit on a scenic beach with the ocean in the background.
The mom of 4-year-old twins Charlie and Elle then turns to the camera, smiles and then goes to kiss the barrel of the 12-gauge shotgun.
Other images in the video posted by the local news outlet show Hartin at shooting ranges – as well as sitting on a horse saddle hanging from the ceiling of a bar.
The 7 News Belize reporter suggested that the videos began circulating online as part of a smear campaign against an “alleged accidental killer” in an effort to prevent her from regaining custody of her kids.
In an interview with the news outlet, Hartin claimed that no one from the family of her longtime partner, Andrew Ashcroft — the 43-year-old son of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft — has visited her.
“From what I’ve been told by the family they were instructed to distance themselves from me immediately, that they couldn’t have bad press associated with their reputation,” she told the outlet.
“So, therefore, I wasn’t, I didn’t have any family come to visit me in jail,” Hartin said. “Instead, a couple friends came to see me, but never once was I allowed to speak to the children during that time.”
She said she was “shocked” by being shunned by Andrew after the shooting.
“Andrew and I we’ve been together seven years. We’re not perfect. There’s been ups and downs — we’ve definitely had a complicated relationship,” she said. “But even with all of that, though, I can’t believe how I’ve been treated,” Hartin told the station.
“I just feel like I’m the mother of your children … you know, I don’t know how you just pull everything from me and show me no love, or support during a time I needed the most right now—- and again I don’t want to make this about me,” she continued.
“I’m in a situation because of horrible accident. From the 28th when I lost my friend Henry, and that was terrible. So I’m just saying like, I’m sure his family likes to have the love and support to get through this horrible time. I feel like I don’t have the love and support to get through it on my side,” Hartin said.
She also said she feels like Andrew has “kidnapped” their children.
“I don’t know if I’m allowed to say that, but withholding a mother from her children. When we have nothing in custody and writing, I don’t, I don’t know of another situation where they’ve done this to a mother — just taken the children and put up a blockade of security guards to keep you from them on your own property, and then try to put charges on you for trying to see your kids.,” Hartin continued, appearing to choke up.
“I think it’s already kidnapping. I think they can do whatever they want. This shows how much power they have. When you have that much money and power in a small country like Belize, it’s shows what you’re capable of doing,” she said.
Hartin added: “I’ve spent 19 days in jail and I should not have spent one.”
The socialite — who is charged with manslaughter by negligence — has been bailed out of jail by a lawyer outraged at how she’s been “thrown to the wolves” by her common-law family.
She had been hauled back to jail after filming herself angrily confronting Andrew and accusing him of blocking her from seeing their kids.