Charlotte Brown: Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd released from prison

Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd has been released from prison, Sky News understands.

The 35-year-old completed half of his 10-year sentence at HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire for Charlotte Brown’s manslaughter and a separate, unrelated assault in a pub.

Shepherd went on the run for 10 months after being convicted of killing the 24-year-old during a speedboat ride on the River Thames on their first date in December 2015.

Last month, Charlotte’s father Graham Brown spoke to Sky News ahead of the release of his daughter’s killer – and pleaded for Shepherd to reveal more about “what really happened”.

Mr Brown said: “Shepherd has never said what really happened that night.

“And what he has said conflicts with what we know did happen and what came out in the trial.

“The pure fact that he took my daughter out on a dodgy speedboat at 10 o’clock at night, without lifejackets, on a very dangerous stretch of the River Thames and accelerated up to 30 knots, and then to turn around and say, it was her fault…”

He added: “My daughter would not have been driving that boat. In my own mind, I’m fairly confident that she thought it was just going to meander, turn around, and go back.”

Shepherd has previously said he did not believe he was responsible for Charlotte’s death, claiming it was “ultimately her action” that caused the tragedy.

Charlotte had met Shepherd on a dating app.

They dined at a Shard restaurant near London Bridge before Shepherd took her for a late-night ride on the Thames on his defective speedboat.

The boat hit a submerged tree and overturned – they were both rescued, but Charlotte was unconscious and later died.