Father begs speedboat killer to reveal the truth about daughter's death on the Thames

ITV London's Carolyn Sim has this report

The father of a woman who died in a speedboat incident on the Thames is urging his daughter's killer to reveal the truth about her death.

In December 2015, Charlotte Brown, 24, had been on a first date at the Shard with Jack Shepherd when they decided to take a speed boat down the Thames.

Charlotte was thrown from the speedboat when it hit something in the water. Her father, Graham Brown, said that the incident 'robbed' his daughter of his life.

Jack Shepherd was given a six-year prison sentence after being convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain this morning he said: "Nothing will replace losing our Charlotte.

"We still don't know what happened that night. Because Jack Shepherd wasn't present at his trial, so we never got to hear his version of events.

"It was never challenged or cross-examined.

"He subsequently fled to Georgia and on his return he let out snippets like my daughter was driving the boat which we totally disbelieve because the boat was so unworthy."

Shepherd fled to the former Soviet republic, Georgia and was later extradited to the UK.

The speedboat was travelling twice the speed limit, when it was thought to have struck a log in the water and overturned, throwing Charlotte into the water.

Graham said he is left with so many unanswered questions, he said: "She had no idea Shepherd would put it into full throttle.

"If the boat was travelling at 30 knots. How did he manage to hold onto the boat?

He added, "We'll probably never know because he won't come out and say what happened to my daughter but the version just doesn't stack up in our minds."

Graham Brown also told GMB that his family has been left with a "lifetime of grief" after not knowing what happened in her final moments.

"I think of my daughter three, four times a day. Everyday. It kills you losing your daughter."

He told Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid that he finds it hard to talk about his wonderful daughter he said: “She was just such a wonderful daughter.

"So full of life and so full of fun. She had just got a promotion and was looking forward to a successful career in the beauty industry.

"She was looking forward to taking her driving test, all those normal things”

Jack Shepherd's sentence was reduced in 2020 after judges decided that the 78 days he spent in custody awaiting extradition from Georgia should count as time served.

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