The family of Charlotte Brown have slammed “arrogant” speedboat killer Jack Shepherd after he blamed her for the crash that took her life.
Shepherd, found guilty of manslaughter in July, skipped his trail at the Old Bailey and went on the run abroad in Georgia – but earlier this week handed himself into police and claimed his innocence.
His ‘smirking’ interview with local TV in which he vowed to “succeed” has angered her family members, despite their relief that he has given himself up after 10 months on the run.
Ms Brown’s sister Katie told the BBC earlier today: “To see him just stroll into the police station smiling and waving it was unbelievable, his arrogance over everything.”
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However, Shepherd’s lawyer in Georgia has claimed the web designer from Exeter – convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six years in his absence for the deadly crash on the River Thames – could fight attempts to extradite him.
Shepherd told TV news reporters at the police station in Tbilisi he hoped “everyone can move on” after ‘justice has been done in six months’.
“After a long period where the police rightly treated it as an accident, after significant pressure from her father, the police decided to prosecute me for manslaughter.
“The court accepted she was driving at the time of the accident.
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“The thing they say I did wrong was to let her drive my boat. They say that was negligent and that I owed her a duty of care.
“Although I had had something to drink, I was not tested or anything. Charlotte was tested and was just above the drink-drive limit.
“It was unwise to go out on the water but not mad.”
Katie Brown believes the fugitive gave himself up for “purely selfish reasons”, suggesting Shepherd wants to appeal his conviction in the UK and may avoid serving his sentence in jail.
She said on BBC Breakfast: “Last night as we saw his TV interview, [we felt] increasing feelings of anger.”
In another interview, Ms Brown told the BBC she was taken aback by Shepherd’s “smug” attitude.
“I feel very surprised at how smug he looks to be honest. It just shows a very arrogant man,” she said.
“I don’t understand how someone can go on the run for two crimes and be found guilty and still then just walk straight in with a very smug look on his face and claim innocence. It’s unbelievable.
“Someone who’s run away from this doesn’t scream an innocent man’s actions to me. Why did he run away if he’s claiming innocence?”
Victim Charlotte, a business consultant from Essex, died in December 2015 after a speedboat crash during a first date with Shepherd.
He handed the controls to her after driving the boat at double the 12-knot speed limit – but both were thrown into the Thames after the craft hit a log and capsized.
The court ruled he was responsible for the boat’s safety.
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