Speedboat victim's family urge man found guilty of killing her to attend court

The family of 24-year-old Charlotte Brown who was killed when she was thrown from a speedboat belonging to Jack Shepherd have pleaded with him to attend court to face sentence.

Katie Brown, the victim's sister, said in a statement on behalf of the family: "The immense pain and anguish we feel will never pass and our grief will last a lifetime."

She continued: "Charlie died because she thought she would be safe taking a journey on Jack Shepherd's speedboat - a speedboat that we know was unsafe and that he bought with the sole purpose of seducing young women and one he had used recklessly many times before.

"During the trial, in his absence, with his whereabouts unknown to both the court and police, Jack Shepherd was afforded more rights that Charlie.

"Throughout this trial we have been appalled by the tactics the defence have stooped to to protect their client in his absence - a particular lie for our family was when the defence said that wearing a life jacket would not have saved Charlie's life.

"As a family, and as testified by experts, we firmly believe that Charlie would not have drowned if she was wearing a life jacket."

Shepherd has absconded and was not in court for any of his trial, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Katie Brown added: "We now appeal to Jack Shepherd wherever he is in the world to return and assume the responsibility of his guilt and the devastation he caused by his actions that fateful night - we appeal to Jack Shepherd's family and friends to appeal to him and urge him to face the consequences of his actions."

Ms Brown said the family now planned to work with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to tighten the legislation on the UK's waterways to prevent further tragedies.