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Jasmine’s Judicial Week
posted (August 10, 2021)
The woman accused of killing Superintendent Henry Jemmott, Jasmine Hartin is back in court tomorrow morning and every day for the rest of this week.

Tomorrow she faces a charge of common assault against an employee of her former home, the Grand colony, On Thursday she attends the most recent court date in the matter of the manslaughter by negligence of Henry Jemmott, and finally on Friday Hartin and her former partner Andrew Ashcroft return to family court to continue custody proceedings for their four-year-old twins.

And this afternoon when our Cherisse Halsall caught up with Hartin's attorney Dickie Bradley she asked him how he sees the rest of the week unfolding for Jasmine Hartin. Here's his response.

Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"You ever heard of anybody got 3 in a row. It's like a trinity of troubles. She looks strong, she is bearing up. At this early stage of the game, she, more than likely is going to go into court and be given an adjourned date. You know by law no person can be tried in any court in this country unless they are given what the law calls 'disclosure' deposition. All the statements, all the documentary evidence, any exhibits and so forth must be given to an accused person before they can be a trial. The constitution says to be afforded sufficient adequate time to be able to defend yourself, so you can't give me in the morning and start the trial right there and then."

Reporter
"So you have not been given disclosure?"

Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"I have not receiving any disclosure. So she will go in court more than likely and be given adjourned dates for those matters. In terms of the family matter, I don't know where that is, if it will actually get underway."

Reporter
"Sir, you expect adjournment for both the common assault and the other matter?"

Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"The indictable matter of manslaughter by negligence, that will certainly be adjourned."

Reporter
"So there is no scenario where she has to make a plea tomorrow?"

Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"No, for the summary matters, the moment she was arraigned in a magistrate court and the charges were read, she was called upon to plea and she plead not guilty. For an indictable matter, that cannot be tried in a magistrate court, so they do not call upon an accused person to offer a plea."

Reporter
"Sir, I know a lot of people have been waiting on that ballistic report and the reason they are waiting is they assume the results of that could lead to a higher charge, a charge of murder. Do you see that on the horizon?"

Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"I am looking at the horizon right now and I do not see that. The charge of murder is premised, it is grounded in intentionally taking life. Where is the evidence to show that she intentionally took life. There is none. You would have to concoct, manufactured, come with guessing and supposition and guess game - that is not the law. The law is based on hard cold facts. It has to be forensic in looking at matters. It would be a strange thing that at this late stage somebody should try and charge her for murder. Let me just show you something: in the matter of taking life, in our jurisdiction, murder is at the top of the list. The worst crime you can do is murder, because you took a life intentionally. That's a very serious matter. Even the bible says if you take life, your life is forfeit, your life is to be taken. That is the highest. Just below murder is manslaughter, which is you took life, but that was not your intention. The third one is manslaughter by negligence; meaning that you did an act which was reckless and negligent and you caused death."

"We know that there is machinations and all kinds of malice behind the hounding of this lady. I think you had covered extensively the last time she had a nightmare experience in which she was actually detained when she went to sign in at a station in San Ignacio and then move all around the place like she is one of the worst criminals to ever be caught in the country and then they wanted to take away her bail for a common assault and then the employee of the people she is in conflict with turn up at the supreme court one afternoon that all of a sudden they want to take away the bail."

Reporter
"This is why I have to ask you sir, because you say an upgraded charge to murder would be strange. But truth is stranger than fiction."

Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"Truth is still stranger than fiction? We need to have a conversation with truth, because strange things do happen, but truth in the end always wins. That is the beautiful thing about it."

We'll tell you what happens in court tomorrow.

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