Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd hands himself in to police
A man convicted of killing his date in a speedboat crash in the UK has handed himself in to police in Georgia after months on the run.
Jack Shepherd was sentenced to six years in July for the manslaughter of 24-year-old Charlotte Brown.
The 31-year-old had been in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi since March and was absent throughout his trial.
Ms Brown’s father Graham Brown said: “I feel very emotional at the fact that my daughter will get some justice.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, he added: “I do think the family will be in a much better position to deal with our loss and heartbreak over the last three years.
“My feeling towards Jack Shepherd is that he is a very crass reckless man who stuck two fingers up to the judiciary system.
“He’s done the right thing and thank goodness he has handed himself in.”
A spokesman for the Georgian Embassy in London confirmed Shepherd’s arrest.
It comes after Ms Brown’s family met with the Home Secretary Sajid Javid on Tuesday to renew their appeal for Shepherd to hand himself in.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the law enforcement agency in the country, previously told the BBC they were working with the Met Police to track Shepherd.
Under current diplomatic agreements between Georgia and the UK, he is eligible for extradition.
The Met Police said it was informed by the National Crime Agency (NCA) that Shepherd was in the custody of police in Georgia.
In a statement, the force added: “His identity is yet to be officially confirmed. However, if the man is confirmed as Shepherd, extradition proceedings will begin immediately.”
After meeting on the dating website OkCupid, Shepherd took Miss Brown on a date on 8 December 2015.
Shepherd spent £150 on wine and food at a restaurant in The Shard before taking Ms Brown on a speedboat he claimed he owned.
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Ms Brown and Shepherd were thrown from the boat when it hit branches in the water near Wandsworth Bridge close to midnight.
Shepherd was found clinging to the hull and Ms Brown, from Clacton in Essex, was pulled from the water unconscious and unresponsive.
A post-mortem examination found she died from cold water immersion.
Shepherd made his first appearance at the Old Bailey on 26 January, when he entered a not guilty plea to a charge of manslaughter by gross negligence.
He was released on unconditional bail by Judge Richard Marks QC, but failed to show up for his trial in July.
After his conviction an international arrest warrant was issued.
Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd hands himself in to police