Charlotte Brown, 24, was killed when Jack Shepherd's speedboat hit a log and capsized while she was behind the wheel - catapulting them both in to the freezing Thames
A DEVASTATED mum has slammed the "coward" who killed her daughter on his speedboat after he went on the run - as he's sentenced to six years.
Charlotte Brown, 24, died when the boat hit a log and capsized - catapulting her and Jack Shepherd, 30, in the freezing River Thames.
Shepherd was yesterday convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence after jurors heard the speedboat had a number of faults.
But the web designer has been on the run since May and a warrant for his arrest has now been issued by cops, who believe he may have fled abroad.
He was today sentenced in his absence to six years in jail at the Old Bailey after failing to show up in court.
His own lawyer branded him a "coward" for going into hiding as Charlotte's anguished mum read out an emotional victim impact statement in court.
Roz Wickens said: "Watching my two daughters grieve and deal with the loss of their sister and best friend is heartbreaking.
"Charlotte was the light of my life in every way. She was beautiful, healthy, intelligent, compassionate, bright, funny, supportive and just the very best company.
"After going to university, she got a good job and, to be honest, she had everything to live for.
"Charlotte's life had only just begun and now she has been robbed of that life."
She continued: "Every day is the worst day of my life because it's another day without Charlotte. People say time heals but that's not the case when you have lost a child."
The court was told since the deadly crash, Shepherd has since gone on to marry a school friend and have a two-year-old daughter.
He has has not been in touch with his mum since May, when he told his legal team he had no intention of turning up to his trial.
A previous arrest warrant had been issued after he failed to show up at Newton Abbott Magistrates Court for GBH with intent on June 6 in relation to a Devon pub incident.
His lawyer Stephen Vullo said today: "The reason he had not attended is simply cowardice.
"He could not face the Brown family from the dock and explain to them.
The judge pointed to a number of different negligent acts in his sentencing:
"It's cowardice, it's not an affront to them or this court.
"His inability to face the responsibility and the Brown family, knowing how they have suffered, lead him to not attend."
Charlotte's family had issued an urgent appeal to Shepherd to hand himself in ahead of his sentencing.
The emotional statement said: "We now appeal to Jack Shepherd, wherever he is in the world, to return and assume the responsibility of his guilt and devastation he has caused by his careless actions that fateful night.
"We appeal to Jack Shepherd's family and friends to talk to him and urge him to face the consequences of his actions."
The impact of Charlotte's loss on my family and I are immense, which words cannot describe.
Watching my two daughters grieve and deal with the loss of their sister and very best friend has been heartbreaking.
My family are grieving for the loss of our sister, daughter and best friend.
No one can underestimate the pain that shivers through you when your thoughts go to how Charlotte lost her life that night.
Charlotte was the light of my life, and everyone's life.
She was a beautiful, healthy, intelligent, compassionate, bright, fun, supportive and the very best company.
Charlotte's life had hardly began and she has now been robbed of her life, and from being a wife and mother and all the future that entailed.
Every day is the worst day of my life.
People will say time heels but that isn't the case when you have lost a child.
Time makes feelings worse and every day is a struggle and event is impossible.
Anniversaries, birthday, Christmas, family get-togethers have become traumatic events.
An empty chair, and empty room and an empty space has never been more empty.
Empty is still empty, For is still gone, missing her is still missing her. The problem is nothing can ease this feeling.
Minute after minute, hours after hour, day after day, month after month, year after heartbreaking year, that empty space remains.
The Casanova, who is originally from Exeter, Devon, bought the red 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte GTO from Gumtree to "pull" and had taken ten other women for rides before the fatal crash.
In December 2015, Shepherd took Charlotte on late-night trip past the Houses of Parliament after a boozy dinner at the Shard - and later admitted to cops he did not ask if she could swim.
Tragedy struck when Charlotte took the wheel and the boat capsized - with Shepherd later found clinging on to the upturned bow.
I want Jack Shepherd to know if he is going to be enjoying himself, I will not be enjoying myself.
I will be visiting Charlotte's grave. So If was a dreadful accident as ha had claimed, why hasn't e explained to us what happened that night and at least sent his condolences.
The fact is that if Charlotte hadn't met him she would be alive today.
The empty hole that has been left on my heart is huge and is agony.
I will continue to feel pain, distress, emotion and anguish until I take my final breathe.
Charlotte - known to her friends and family as Charli - died from cold water immersion after being pulled from the river either dead or dying.
She had moments before filmed Shepherd showing off at the wheel while she screamed: "Oh my God, you're going so fast".
In a police interview, Shepherd admitted to cops that neither of them were wearing life jackets, and he didn't ask her if she could swim.
He said: "Neither of us were wearing life jackets. There were two in between two seats in the front but she wouldn't have known they were there because I didn't point them out.
"As his voice breaks, Shepherd tells police: "I didn't ask if she could swim or anything."
In footage of the police interview, Shepherd said: "I had a bottle of wine, then drank that, then had some food, then another bottle of wine and left and got a taxi back. To be honest with you, I'm quite hazy about leaving the restaurant.
During the trial, the boat was taken to the court to be shown as evidence to jurors.
They were told the 75-horsepower vessel, which had been moored beside Shepherd's houseboat in Hammersmith, was speeding before the crash.
Neither were wearing lifejackets and the speedboat had serious defects including a "wobble" in the steering system and damaged windscreen and seats.
It was also not fitted with a "kill cord" which cuts the engines in the event of an accident.
The court heard Shepherd met Charlotte on dating website OKCupid and they shared two bottles of wine over dinner at The Oblix restaurant before taking to the river.
Prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee QC said Shepherd used the speedboat as part of his "seduction routine" and he may have taken up to ten women on a boozy cruise.
When he took Charlotte out on December 8 2015, just hours after they met for the first time, "it went horribly wrong," Mr Jafferjee said.
He added: "It was cold, it was dark, we submit, it was sheer madness."
The speedboat capsized opposite Plantation Wharf, near Wandsworth Bridge and Shepherd was found clinging to upturned bow of the boat.
He was unsteady on his feet and still reeked of alcohol after lifeguards hauled him from the river.
Shepherd drunkenly asked: "Is she alright? Have you found her?" as Charlotte was pulled from the water either dead or dying.
He told officers they drank two bottles of wine before taking a taxi to his houseboat where they "drank more" and decided to take the boat towards Westminster.
Shepherd said: ";On the way back she wanted a go. She was quite insistent on it.
"I had said that she could, so it was hard to go back on it.
"The water would have been calm. I remember hanging on to the bar in front of the passenger seat.
"The last thing I remember was hanging on."
When asked what speed he was doing by cops, he replied: "Full throttle to have to be hanging on, and maybe steering slightly erratically.
"Neither of us wore life jackets although there were two in between the seats.
"But she would not have known they were there and I didn't point them out.
"I didn't even ask if she could swim."
Since buying his barge in Hammersmith, Shepherd claimed to have dated "probably ten" women - with "the majority" being taken out on the speedboat.
Sentencing, Judge Richard Marks QC said: "It's entirely understandable all her family are utterly devastated by her untimely death and will no doubt grieve for the rest of their lives."
He added: "The venture on to the Thames was to end in tragedy.
"This was an accident waiting to happen. The defendant had a a cavalier attitude towards safety."
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