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Jack Shepherd: man who killed woman in speedboat crash jailed Jack Shepherd: man who killed woman in speedboat crash jailed
(about 1 hour later)
Jack Shepherd, who killed a woman in a speedboat crash on the Thames before fleeing to Georgia, has been sentenced to an additional six months in jail for skipping bail. Jack Shepherd, who killed a woman in a speedboat crash on the Thames before fleeing to Georgia, has been sentenced to an additional six months in prison for skipping bail.
The 31-year-old absconded last summer and was found guilty of the manslaughter of 24-year-old Charlotte Brown and sentenced to six years in prison in his absence. The 31-year-old, who absconded last summer, was found guilty of the manslaughter of 24-year-old Charlotte Brown and sentenced to six years in prison in his absence.
He spent six months living in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, where he rented a number of apartments and continued to work as a freelance web developer, before media reported his whereabouts and he handed himself in to police in January.He spent six months living in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, where he rented a number of apartments and continued to work as a freelance web developer, before media reported his whereabouts and he handed himself in to police in January.
Metropolitan police officers escorted him on a flight back from Georgia to the UK on Wednesday, after prosecutors filed a request for his extradition in March. Metropolitan police officers escorted him on a flight back to the UK on Wednesday, after prosecutors filed an extradition request in March.
At a hearing at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 10 months since he was first convicted, the judge Richard Marks QC sentenced Shepherd to an additional six months in jail for breaking bail. At a hearing at the Old Bailey in London on Thursday, 10 months since he was first convicted, the judge Richard Marks QC sentenced Shepherd to an additional six months in prison for breaking bail. “Your conduct in absenting yourself from justice for so long was as cowardly as it was selfish,” he said.
He said Shepherd had left the UK in March last year and had been constantly in touch with his lawyers throughout his trial, being sent daily transcripts of evidence. “You were in effect having your cake and eating it,” said Marks. “That is not how our system of justice is intended to operate.” Marks said Shepherd had left the UK in March last year and had been constantly in touch with his lawyers throughout his trial, being sent daily transcripts of evidence. “You were in effect having your cake and eating it,” he said. “That is not how our system of justice is intended to operate.”
Shepherd had made “a conscious, deliberate and considered decision to go on the run”, which “must have added hugely to the distress of Charlotte’s family”, the judge said.Shepherd had made “a conscious, deliberate and considered decision to go on the run”, which “must have added hugely to the distress of Charlotte’s family”, the judge said.
Shepherd and Brown met on the dating website OkCupid and were on their first date when they were involved in a speedboat crash on 8 December 2015. They had gone for champagne and a meal at the Shard in London before he suggested they go for a late-night boat ride past the Houses of Parliament.Shepherd and Brown met on the dating website OkCupid and were on their first date when they were involved in a speedboat crash on 8 December 2015. They had gone for champagne and a meal at the Shard in London before he suggested they go for a late-night boat ride past the Houses of Parliament.
The original trial was told that the 14-foot (4.3-metre) Fletcher Arrowflyte had a number of defects and was speeding when it was thought to have struck a submerged log near Wandsworth Bridge, throwing Brown into the water. Shepherd was rescued after being found clinging to the upturned hull. Brown was found unconscious and unresponsive. A postmortem ruled she died from cold water immersion. The original trial was told that the 14ft (4.3-metre) Fletcher Arrowflyte had a number of defects and was speeding when it was thought to have struck a submerged log near Wandsworth Bridge, throwing Brown into the water. Shepherd was rescued after being found clinging to the upturned hull. Brown was found unconscious and unresponsive. A postmortem ruled she died from cold water immersion.
The jury at Shepherd’s trial were not told that he had breached his bail, in order to avoid them being unfairly influenced. In December, following his conviction, he was granted permission to appeal. The jury at Shepherd’s trial were not told that he had breached his bail, in order to avoid them being unfairly influenced. In December, after his conviction, he was granted permission to appeal.
In the hearing on Thursday, Andrew McGee, defending Shepherd, said: “Jack Shepherd genuinely regrets and is ashamed of his decision not to attend his trial and sentencing and that is particularly because of the additional distress his absconding caused to the Brown family. That was never his intention and he is deeply sorry for it.” In the hearing on Thursday, Andrew McGee, defending, said: “Jack Shepherd genuinely regrets and is ashamed of his decision not to attend his trial and sentencing and that is particularly because of the additional distress his absconding caused to the Brown family. That was never his intention and he is deeply sorry for it.”
McGee said his client was motivated entirely by the fear of the possible outcome of proceedings, which was “not to excuse what he did but to explain it”. Shepherd was “terrified by the prospect of a prison sentence and he remains terrified by that prospect”, he said. McGee said his client was motivated entirely by the fear of the possible outcome of proceedings, which was “not to excuse what he did but to explain it”. Shepherd was terrified by the prospect of a prison sentence and remained so, he said.
“It wasn’t callous or cavalier and it wasn’t in any sense cynical or calculated,” said McGee. “He didn’t take the decision to abscond in order to disrupt or frustrate the system to his own advantage.”“It wasn’t callous or cavalier and it wasn’t in any sense cynical or calculated,” said McGee. “He didn’t take the decision to abscond in order to disrupt or frustrate the system to his own advantage.”
He argued that the fact that Shepherd handed himself in to Georgian police should be taken as a mitigating factor. Marks rejected this, saying that a media campaign by publications including the Daily Mail would have made it clear to him that “the net was closing in”. McGee said the fact that Shepherd handed himself in to Georgian police should be taken as a mitigating factor. Marks rejected this, saying that a media campaign led by the Daily Mail would have made it clear to Shepherd that “the net was closing in”.
The family of Charlotte Brown, who sat in the public gallery throughout Thursday’s hearing, had mounted a media campaign with the help of the Daily Mail for Shepherd to be returned to the UK, even meeting with the home secretary, Sajid Javid, in January. It is yet to be decided whether or not the 78 days Shepherd spent in custody in Georgia will be subtracted from his jail time in the UK.
Reading a statement outside court Charlotte’s sister Katie Brown welcomed the sentence. She said Shepherd still refused to accept responsibility for his reckless actions on the night her sister died. “His lack of decency and respect astounds us,” she said. Brown’s family, who sat in the public gallery throughout Thursday’s hearing, had mounted a media campaign for Shepherd to be returned to the UK, with the home secretary, Sajid Javid, in January.
“As a family we are relieved that Jack Shepherd is now back in the country and commencing his prison sentence. It’s a step closer to justice for Charlie. Shepherd has continued to prolong our agony, making wild accusations against our family.” Reading a statement outside court, Brown’s sister Katie welcomed the sentence and said she hoped the appeal against his conviction was dismissed.
“His lack of respect and decency continues to astound us.We hope Shepherd’s appeal against his (manslaughter) sentence will be dismissed and as a family we can continue to fight for a change in the law.” “Shepherd has continued to prolong our agony, making wild accusations against our family and the events of the fateful night in December 2015, which are inconsistent to Shepherd’s own police interview and testimonies given during the manslaughter trial,” she said.
She said he had given various contradictory version of events on the night of her sister’s death, claiming Charlotte was driving the boat at the the time of the crash, something that was contradicted by witness testimony.
“Charli [Charlotte] will never be returned to us, whereas Shepherd can continue his life with his family once he serves his sentence,” she said. “He has not shown any real remorse or accountability for his actions, accusing Charli of being responsible for her own death as recently as this week. His lack of respect and decency continues to astound us.”
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