The man jailed over the death of Charlotte Brown after a fatal speedboat crash on the River Thames has admitted carrying out further violent assaults on a new partner while released from prison on licence. Jack Shepherd, 38, appeared via video link from HMP Swaleside at Isleworth Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of criminal damage. The offences were committed in 2025, around a year after Shepherd was released on licence following his sentence for the manslaughter of Charlotte Brown.
Assaults Took Place While on Licence
Prosecutors told the court Shepherd attacked his partner during two separate incidents. In February 2025, he pinned the woman down and repeatedly punched her during an argument, leaving her with bruising to her arm and leg. During a second incident in June 2025, Shepherd struck the woman on the chest with a pair of barbecue tongs after becoming angry that she had burned a pizza. The assault left the victim with a permanent scar. He also admitted damaging the woman’s keys.
Further Charges Dropped
The Crown Prosecution Service accepted Shepherd’s guilty pleas and offered no evidence on two further charges alleging:
- Controlling or coercive behaviour
- Intentional suffocation
Those charges were formally discontinued.
Recalled to Prison
Shepherd was recalled to prison in September 2025 following the allegations. At the hearing, Judge Martin Edmunds KC remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing and ordered a probation report examining his behaviour while in the community during 2024 and early 2025. Shepherd told the court that his current release date on the original manslaughter sentence is January 2029. He is due to be sentenced in September.
Convicted Over Charlotte Brown’s Death
Shepherd was jailed for 10 years at the Old Bailey after being convicted of the gross negligence manslaughter of Charlotte Brown, 24. In December 2015, the pair met for a date in London before boarding Shepherd’s defective speedboat on the River Thames after sharing champagne at The Shard. The boat struck a submerged tree trunk and capsized, throwing both occupants into the river. Ms Brown died from cold water immersion. Following the incident, Shepherd fled to Georgia before his trial but was later extradited back to the UK. 
Previous Violence Conviction
In 2019, Shepherd was also jailed for four years after admitting a drink-fuelled assault on a barman in Newton Abbot, Devon. Details of his latest offending first emerged in a Parole Board report published last month concerning his recall to custody. Shepherd remains in prison ahead of his sentencing hearing in September.
