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Speedboat killer who went on the run to remain behind bars for foreseeable future after bid for freedom rejected

Shepherd was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence in 2019

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Jack Shepherd will remain behind bars after having his parole bid rejected.
Jack Shepherd will remain behind bars after having his parole bid rejected. Picture: Getty

By Alex Storey

Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd is to remain behind bars for the foreseeable future after having a bid for parole rejected.

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Shepherd was jailed in 2019 for causing the death of his Tinder date Charlotte Brown after drunkenly flipping his boat on the River Thames and latter attacking a bartender.

He was released early from prison in 2024 after serving half of his six-year sentence, but was recalled just over a year later for breaching the terms of his licence.

The 37-year-old is now set to remain behind bars until further notice after parole bosses rejected a bid for freedom after analysing written evidence in relation to the case, the Daily Mail reports.

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Shepherd was convicted of manslaughter following the death of Ms Brown.
Shepherd was convicted of manslaughter following the death of Ms Brown. Picture: Getty/Alamy

A spokesperson for the Parole Board said there had been a refusal of release at a paper review, which is where experts assess detailed written evidence of the case.

The panel reviews documents including the original offence, previous convictions, behaviour in prison and whether they have completed any required courses.

The killer now has 28 days to request an oral hearing before the decision becomes final. 

A source told the Mail: "Shepherd is arrogant and is likely to have believed he'd walk free within weeks, insisting he'd done nothing wrong.

"This will come as a relief to the family of his victim. They have been through hell. He has laughed at justice at virtually each step of the process."

Ms Brown, 24, died in December 2015 after she was thrown from the defective speedboat when it capsized on the Thames.

Shepherd walks escorted by police in Tbilisi in 2019 after a Georgian court ruled to extradite him.
Shepherd walks escorted by police in Tbilisi in 2019 after a Georgian court ruled to extradite him. Picture: Alamy

In mobile phone footage of the incident, Ms Brown could be heard shouting that they were going "so fast" as Shepherd drove at more than double the 12-knot speed limit.

He was pulled alive from the Thames, but Ms Brown was sadly found unconscious and unresponsive. She later died in hospital.

Shepherd, originally from Exeter, then went on the run, and was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence in his absence after an Old Bailey trial in 2018.

Speaking at the time of his recall to prison, Ms Brown's father Graham Brown told The Sun: “He’s back where he belongs.

"He’s never shown remorse for his part in the death of my daughter.

"I think about her every day. The pain is never far away. I’ll never forgive him and still believe he poses a risk to females."