Was Jasmine Hartin’s Caution Statement Leaked?
Was Jasmine Hartin’s caution statement leaked to international media, who have been on the ground following the shooting death of Superintendent Henry Jemmott? The Canadian national has been on remand since last Tuesday, awaiting a bail hearing, for the charge of manslaughter by negligence in the death of the senior cop. On Friday, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions entered its submissions as to why the accused should not be given Supreme Court bail and today; Hartin’s attorneys filed their submissions ahead of Wednesday’s bail hearing before Justice Herbert Lord. But over the weekend, detailed descriptions of what allegedly transpired in the early hours of May twenty-eighth were disclosed by an overseas media house. If true, how did they get access to Hartin’s caution statement? There are several means through which that could have happened, but at today’s press conference, Assistant Commissioner Joseph Myvett was asked if officers are being paid to leak information.
Joseph Myvett
ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch
“The matter was discussed at length and yes indeed that is a concern. However, we must also take into consideration that not only the police officers had access to what was in that caution statement. Miss Hartin herself had access to family members and she spoke to people.”
Reporter
“So she had visitors this weekend?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“I would not be able to say it because she is at the Hattieville prison.”
Reporter
“And she is in quarantine correct?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“I am not sure of that.”
Reporter
“My question sir is do you receive visitors in quarantine in general?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“The fact of the matter is that police doesn’t put anyone in quarantine so that would not be a question for me.”
Reporter
“But you were saying, sir, Miss Hartin had access to the statement?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“Of course she would have had access to the statement; if she made the statement, she knew what she said. And her attorney had access to that too as well. So it is not necessarily just looking at police – that only police had access to that information.”
Paul Lopez
“But it is a possibility that this information was leaked…”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“Yes we are looking at that and yes it is a concern, but as I mentioned, it is not only the police department that had access to that information.”
Paul Lopez
“What kind of conversation do you have with your officers when these proposals are made? How do they handle it?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“In terms of a caution statement that’s recorded, that is kept with the investigator. But you must also bear in mind that a caution statement is not only recorded being from the officer and that accused person. Caution statements are recorded in the presence of Justices of the Peace and at times, most times, caution statements are video recorded. But yes, we are aware of the information and an investigation has been launched in relation to that.”
Last week, both international and local media outlets gained access to a photograph of Hartin taken while she was in a cell at the San Pedro police station that was being offered for sale. Local media also revealed details of the shooting, similar to those presented in the caution statement, before she was transferred to the mainland.
