DINNER at The Shard and a boat ride home sounds like the ideal first date – but for Charlotte Brown, it would end up being the last night of her life.
Her OkCupid match wasn’t a caring, kind man but “speedboat seducer” Jack Shepherd whose reckless actions led to “beautiful” Charlotte – a 24-year-old with her whole life ahead of her – drowning in the Thames.
Charlotte was thrown into the Thames and killed
A mugshot of Jack Shepherd, who was convicted today of assaulting his partner Credit: Enterprise News and Pictures
Shameless Shepherd skipped bail and put Charlotte’s family through untold agony for 10 months until he was convicted in his absence of manslaughter by gross negligence at the Old Bailey in July 2018.
He was eventually extradited to the UK from Georgia in April 2019 to serve a six-year jail term, alongside a consecutive four-year sentence for a separate assault on a barman, of which he served just under five years before being freed on licence in January 2024.
Today, that same streak of violence he showed in the death of Charlotte landed the killer behind bars yet again.
At Isleworth Crown Court, the 39-year-old was sentenced to 20 months in prison, with a further four years on extended licence, after admitting a campaign of horrific abuse against a new partner, named in court only as Ms X, a woman in her 50s who he met not long after he was released from jail.
The speedboat Charlotte and Shepherd were travelling in on the night of the crash Credit: PA:Press Association
Charlotte Brown, 24, who was killed after being flung into the Thames Credit: PA:Press Association
The court heard how a summer barbecue turned into a nightmare when Shepherd, furious because Ms X had burnt a pizza, hit her across the chest with a set of barbecue tongs – leaving her left breast permanently scarred.
It was far from an isolated outburst. Just months earlier, the thug pinned the same woman down and punched her repeatedly, leaving her arms and legs severely bruised.
According to court documents, one neighbour recalled how Ms X used to say “she was frightened” and they had “very, very disturbing arguments”.
They alleged there was “screaming and shouting” and that she said “he used to put his hand around her neck and threatened her”.
Ms X also accused him of “belittling” her with jibes about her weight and age, and accused her of flirting with other men.
Addressing the killer, Judge Martin Edmunds said: “The law does not allow me to add any more time to your current prison sentence, due to end in January 2029.”
For Charlotte’s family the details of the abuse offer a familiar insight into Shepherd’s depravity.
It was December 2015 when business consultant Charlotte, 24, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, met then-web developer Shepherd, then 28, who was living on a houseboat in London.
They’d chatted on the dating site beforehand and decided to meet at the Shard where they had dinner at the Oblix restaurant on the 32nd floor.
It was a familiar routine for Champagne Casanova Shepherd who, in police interviews, admitted he’d bought the red 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte GTO speedboat off Gumtree to seduce women.
After ordering two bottles of wine and flatbread he paid the £150 bill. Then, telling Charlotte he had a speedboat, they got a taxi the 10 miles from The Shard, near London Bridge, to his home in Hammersmith, West London, where they drank more alcohol.
At around 11.20pm the pair opted to go aboard Shepherd’s boat. He was going to show her the Houses of Parliament, he said.
What Charlotte couldn’t have known was that his boat was heavily defective with poor and sloppy steering, a partially opaque window and an unconnected safety kill cord.
Hitting a log near Wandsworth Bridge, the boat capsized and Charlotte was flung from it. When paramedics arrived she was in cardiac arrest and had hypothermia. She was pronounced dead in hospital. He was clinging to the boat.
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Jack Shepherd Credit: PA
Katie and Graham Brown (left) the sister and father of Charlotte Brown
Nearby resident Steven Morrissey told the court that he heard a young man screaming for help.
In a statement he said: “He kept saying ‘Help me, help me, somebody help me’. It was just ‘Help me’ – not ‘us’, or ‘her’.”
Emergency crews added after Shepherd was pulled from the water he was incredibly drunk and couldn’t remember Charlotte’s name.
The day after Charlotte died, Shepherd told police he bought it as a seduction tool, confirming he’d invited multiple other women onto his speedboat. “Yeah, I mean, I got it with the intention of, you know, trying to pull women with it, basically,” he said.
In later interviews he added: “I think I was probably, you know, wanting to sleep with her basically, and so that was probably what I wanted to do and she wanted to go in the boat so I’ve gone ‘OK’.”
One woman who went on it, Amy Warner, told the trial she actually got off his boat because she was so scared.
Timeline of the Speedboat Killer
December 2015
Charlotte Brown is killed on her first date with Jack Shepherd after she is thrown from a speed boat when it capsized in the River Thames.
2018
Shepherd flees to Georgia and is convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence at the Old Bailey in his absence.
2019
The killer hands himself to police in Georgia and is extradited to the UK where he is jailed for six years for Charlotte’s death.
January 2024
Shepherd is released from prison on licence.
August 2024
He meets Ms X online and they begin a relationship but Shepard becomes violent and coercive towards her.
February 2025
Shepherd attacks the woman by pinning her down and punching her “several times causing bruising to her arm and top of leg”.
June 2025
He attacks Ms X again after she burnt a pizza and strikes her in the chest with barbecue tongs leaving a permanent scar.
August 2025
Shepherd is arrested and recalled to custody a month later after his licence was revoked.
July 2026
Shepherd admits two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and damaging property.
September 2026
He is sentenced to 20 months with a further four years on extended licence.
Amy, who met him on a dating app and had dinner with him at a London skyscraper, told jurors: “He was driving quite fast. Obviously, from other surroundings, like boat traffic coming towards us, the water was quite choppy. I asked Jack to slow down.”
Eventually they were stopped by the river police who told him to slow down and advised him to wear a life jacket.
It was not the only time police had stopped him for river speeding.
But despite this he continued – travelling at 30 knots when he was with Charlotte, well above the 12-knot speed limit.
He also didn’t advise her to wear a life jacket. “I didn’t even ask her if she could swim,” he later admitted.
And, horrifyingly, he let her take the steering. She followed his lead, going “full throttle” which is when they crashed.
Charlotte’s mother, Roz Wickens, speaking after his conviction, said: “There are no words in the universe to describe how wonderful Charlotte was… the best daughter ever, my best friend. We’ll never get over losing her. Life won’t be the same. Every breath that I take, is a guilty breath, that I’m taking breath and she’s not.”
Her dad Graham, speaking of today’s hearing, added: “I’ve always said Shepherd remains a risk to women. This proves it beyond doubt. He has no respect for women at all.”
Domestic abuse – how to get help
DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone – including men – and does not always involve physical violence.
Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:
Emotional abuse – Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse – gaslighting – being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
Threats and intimidation – Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
Physical abuse – This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
Sexual abuse – Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.
If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:
Remember, you are not alone.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.
Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
