Lawyer for speedboat owner who is on run after killing date denies ‘protecting a fugitive’

Legal aid-funded appeal launched despite Shepherd remaining on the run from police

A lawyer for a man who caused the death of his date in a speedboat accident has denied “protecting a fugitive” as he remains on the run.

Jack Shepherd, 31, refused to attend his trial at the Old Bailey and skipped bail before being jailed for six years in absentia.

Amid an international manhunt, his lawyers have lodged appeals against both his manslaughter conviction and sentence.

Solicitor Richard Egan said he has “no idea” where his client is, but admitted he has been in contact with him.

The lawyer said he was “very sympathetic” to the family of Charlotte Brown, who was killed aged 24 during her first date with Shepherd on the River Thames.

Her parents have accused Shepherd of making a mockery of justice by appealing against his conviction while on the run.

Mr Egan, of Tuckers Solicitors, told ITV News: “I do have some empathy for their position, I understand the appalling nature of what they’ve been through but ... I have duties as a professional.

“I’m not protecting a fugitive, my job is to act as Mr Shepherd’s lawyer.”

The Metropolitan Police said officers have found “no tangible trace” of Shepherd since he last appeared in court and Mr Egan said he does not know whether he remains in the UK or abroad.

Charlotte Brown, 24, was killed after being thrown out of a speedboat into the Thames (PA)

“The fact that I am in contact with him does not mean I know where he is,” he added.

“I’m not part of the police, it is not my duty to dob him or say what I know about him; interactions with Mr Shepherd are privileged.”

Mr Egan refused to say whether he had been in contact with Shepherd by phone and would not disclose if he had actively encouraged the fugitive to hand himself in.

Shepherd has reportedly received nearly £100,000 in legal aid, prompting calls for reforms to entitlement procedures.

In December, he was given permission to challenge his conviction by a judge at the Court of Appeal.

Mr Egan said his legal team was looking at “whether the trial process was correct or if there were any errors” in procedure or law, adding: “The submission of an appeal is already part of the legal aid process and we have a duty to consider that and do that if we think there has been errors and that’s what we’ve done.”

The jurors were told Jack Shepherd bought his speedboat to “pull women” (PA)

Shepherd’s trial heard that he had bought the 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte speedboat from Gumtree to “pull women” and took several dates on board.

The web designer met Ms Brown on a website and the pair were on their first date when he tried to impress her with a ride in December 2015.

The pair had been for dinner up the Shard, where they drank two bottles of wine before getting a taxi back to Shepherd’s houseboat near Hammersmith Bridge and boarding his speedboat.

The Old Bailey heard that despite knowing they were both drunk, Shepherd waited for the highest tide to enable the fastest speeds possible, late at night in full darkness and winter weather conditions.

Having owned and used the boat for several months, he had previously given dates the controls and been stopped by the police for speed, conduct on the river and general poor condition of the boat.

Shepherd admitted driving at “full throttle”, above the speed limit and in an erratic manner towards Westminster, after making no effort to give Ms Brown a life jacket or make her aware of those on board.

He then encouraged her to take over the controls, despite not checking whether she had any previous boating experience or could swim, and knowing that the boat had several faults including a steering defect.

Witnesses saw the speedboat driving erratically and at speed before it hit partially submerged debris and capsized near Wandsworth Bridge shortly before midnight.

Shepherd was heard shouting for help before being found clinging to the upturned speedboat and treated for hypothermia, while Ms Brown was pulled from the water around half an hour after the crash and never recovered consciousness.

She was pronounced dead at 2am and a post-mortem examination listed potential causes including asphyxia due to airway obstruction, electrolyte imbalance following aspiration of large volumes of water, hypothermia and vagal shock.

Shepherd was initially treated as a significant witness rather than a suspect but following a review he was prosecuted for manslaughter by gross negligence.

The defendant, who lived on the houseboat in Hammersmith and was originally from Exeter, had denied the charge.

Additional reporting by PA