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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Sean Morrison

Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd set to begin appeal against conviction over death of Charlotte Brown

Jack Shepherd during his extradition hearing at a court in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Monday (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd will today launch an appeal against his conviction over the death of a women who died during their date on the River Thames.

The web developer, 31, was jailed for six years over the death of Charlotte Brown, 24, who was thrown from his boat when it capsized during their first date in December 2015.

Shepherd, originally from Exeter, went on the run ahead of his Old Bailey trial and was convicted in his absence of manslaughter by gross negligence in July 2018. He was later extradited to the UK from Georgia after handing himself in to police in the capital Tbilisi in January, telling reporters it was a "tragic accident".

His appeal against conviction will be heard by Sir Brian Leveson and two other judges in London on Thursday.

Shepherd was extradited to the UK after handing himself in to police in Georgia AFP/Getty Images)

Jurors at Shepherd's trial heard that he and Ms Brown, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, had been drinking champagne and went on a late-night jaunt in his boat past the Houses of Parliament.

Shepherd handed the controls to Ms Brown just before it overturned, tipping both of them into the cold water, the court was told. He was plucked from the Thames alive, but Ms Brown was found unconscious and unresponsive

Following his return from Georgia, Shepherd appeared at the Old Bailey in April and was sentenced to an additional six months for breaching bail.

He was jailed for a further four years at Exeter Crown Court last week after he admitted wounding with intent in relation to a drink-fuelled attack on a barman.

The court heard he struck former soldier David Beech with a vodka bottle on March 16 2018 after being asked to leave The White Hart Hotel in Newton Abbott, Devon.

The appeal hearing is due to start at 10.30am.

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