Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Speedboat killer’s lawyer in cruel jibe at victim’s family
SPEEDBOAT killer Jack Shepherd’s lawyer has launched a cruel attack on his victim’s family – saying they are gloating over his imprisonment.
Mariam Kublashvili also criticised relatives of Charlotte Brown for not meeting Shepherd to hear him out.
And she said she will be coming to Britain to help with his appeal case after he signed over “power of attorney” before being extradited from Georgia.
Ms Kublashvili, a swimwear model turned lawyer, told the Sunday Mirror: “Being a mother, I understand how they must feel having lost their daughter. But it feels like they are gloating and asking for him not to go forward with the appeal just to make themselves feel happy.
“Now they are trying to make it look like he had no moral right to appeal, which would deny him the chance to prove his innocence, just to see him in prison – guilty or otherwise.
“They have refused to accept his apology despite him apologising several times. And several times he reiterated his wish to see and talk to them before he even made the decision to accept extradition, but they always ignored it.
“There was nothing stopping them from getting into a room with him to share their accounts of the matter.”
A source said Charlotte’s family “will be aghast” at the lawyer’s remarks. Charlotte, 24, of Clacton, Essex, drowned on a 2015 date with Shepherd, 31.
Their speedboat flipped on the River Thames in West London. He fled to Georgia while on remand and was jailed for six years in his absence for manslaughter. On Thursday he faced the Old Bailey and was formally given the six years plus six months for absconding.
Charlotte’s family was there to see justice done.
Outside court, sister Katie, 29, said Shepherd’s claim that business consultant Charlotte was driving “is based solely on his word and is contradictory to eyewitness testimony”.
She added: “During his time on the run, he and his legal team stated various versions of events and accusations that are simply untrue and, due to the reckless and negligent actions of Shepherd, Charli isn’t here to defend herself.”
But Shepherd’s lawyer, who starred on the Georgian version of Strictly Come Dancing, said: “I have read the accounts of witnesses and none of them say he was driving when the crash happened.”
Ms Kublashvili, who has experience in handling international cases, is based in Tbilisi – where Shepherd spent two months in jail before being extradited.
She criticised politicians from Georgia and the UK for getting involved in the extradition case.
And revealing Shepherd signed over his power of attorney on Wednesday, she said she is preparing to travel to the UK to “actively participate” in appeal proceedings – as early as next month.