Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd back behind bars 18 months after release

LONDON — Jack Shepherd, the man convicted of killing his Tinder date in a booze-fueled Thames speedboat crash, has reportedly been returned to custody after breaching his license conditions, roughly 18 months after his release from prison.

Shepherd, now 37, was sentenced to six years in prison after the December 2015 death of Charlotte Brown, 24, following a high-speed ride aboard his defective speedboat past the Houses of Parliament. Brown was thrown from the boat when it capsized near Wandsworth Bridge, and Shepherd was rescued from the water. He had previously become the subject of a separate investigation after fleeing the United Kingdom.

In 2018, Shepherd was jailed in absentia for manslaughter by gross negligence and later extradited to the United Kingdom after handing himself to Georgian police about 10 months later. He also received an additional four-year sentence after admitting to striking a barman, David Beech, with a bottle. He lost an appeal against the manslaughter conviction in June 2019.

![Jack Shepherd]https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/09/17/22/80406015-0-image-m-20_1758145413182.jpg ""

In January, Shepherd was released from HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire after serving half of his sentence. The Ministry of Justice is now said to have confirmed that he is back behind bars for breaching his license conditions, although details of the exact conditions or the nature of the breach were not disclosed.

Charlotte Brown’s father, Graham Brown, told The Sun that Shepherd is “back where he belongs.” He described the former programmer as a narcissist who has shown no remorse for his role in his daughter’s death, and he said he experiences daily pain from the loss. Brown added that he would never forgive Shepherd and believes he poses a risk to women.

David Beech, the ex-soldier who was assaulted during the incident, did not know Shepherd had been reimprisoned, according to the tabloid report. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said, "As this case shows, we do not hesitate to send offenders back to prison if they break the rules." The spokesperson did not specify the license conditions that Shepherd allegedly breached.

Court records and public reporting previously outlined how Shepherd had purchased vodka and shared two bottles of wine with Brown at the Shard, subsequently drinking champagne on the boat he bought via Gumtree. The defense argued that Brown was at the wheel when the boat hit a log and capsized near Wandsworth Bridge, though witnesses on a riverside balcony and a broader police inquiry raised questions about the sequence of events and who was at the helm.

The latest development comes after months of public scrutiny over whether Shepherd should have been released at all. Brown’s family has maintained that his release was ill-advised and that he posed a continuing risk. The case has drawn renewed attention to how license conditions are monitored and enforced for high-risk offenders following a violent death.

Authorities emphasized that accountability and safety remain the driving aims of the probation and prison systems, while noting this case reinforces the willingness to revoke early release when violations occur. The public continuing to follow the narrative underscores the enduring sensitivity around enforcement, rehabilitation, and protection for potential victims.