Woman who died when date's speedboat capsized in Thames 'filmed last moments before she was killed'
Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe See our privacy notice Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
A woman filmed the last moments before she died when her date's speedboat capsized in the Thames, a court heard.
Jack Shepherd, 30, allegedly caused the death of Charlotte Brown, 24, when they were thrown into the water after the boat they were in hit a floating tree trunk.
The vessel was travelling at twice the speed limit for the stretch of water on the River Thames in London, the Old Bailey heard.
Shepherd is accused of breaching his duty of care to Charlotte by letting her take the wheel without wearing a jacket, having a "kill cord" or the skill to steer.
The steering wheel was not fully responsive and needed to be moved extra degrees, jurors were told.
The court heard how in a video she filmed before the crash, Ms Brown could be heard saying "oh my God, you're going so fast".
The pair were on their first date and had dined at The Shard where they downed two bottles of red wine, having met just hours earlier, the court heard.
After getting a taxi to Shepherd's houseboat in Hammersmith, west London, at around 9.15pm on December 8, 2015, the pair went to see the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.
(Image: central news)
The court heard how after drinking some more wine the pair jumped into his speed boat and downed Champagne, which he used "as part of his seduction ritual".
On the return journey to west London Shepherd and Charlotte swapped places so she could steer, it was alleged.
But as she tried to avoid construction barges at speed she swerved and struck the log and the boat capsized, the Old Bailey heard.
Shepherd's calls for help were heard by residents near Plantation Wharf at around 11.45pm and the Met's riverboats, police helicopter, the Coastguard, and the London Fire Brigade alerted, the court was told.
Charlotte, also known as Charli, was pulled from the water between Putney Bridge and Wandsworth Bridge at around 12.10am after floating upstream, jurors were told.
She died later that morning in hospital, the cause of death was given as cold water immersion, a post mortem revealed.
Shepherd managed to cling to the boat and was also hypothermic when he was found by rescuers in the river clutching the upturned bow.
The Old Bailey heard today that on the start of the journey to Westminster, Shepherd was travelling at three times the speed limit of 12knots, and when Charlotte started coming back she was going at 20knots at the point of impact, when the limit is 12knots.
(Image: SWNS +44 (0)1179066550 SWNS.com)
One witness told police he saw the boat going "so fast he thought it was a chase".
The boat was also seen veering from side to side when Charlotte was driving, jurors were told.
Aftab Jafferjee, prosecuting, said there were a number of safety features the boat did not have, including a "kill cord" which stops the engine during an emergency.
He also said the 14ft vessel's windscreen suffered from "crazing" which made it hard to see through and the driver had to sit on the back of the seat.
Also, the wooden planks under the driver's seat were rotten, jurors were told.
Mr Jafferjee added: "It was an accident waiting to happen, we say, due to the state of the boat that night and one of these features could have so easily been the cause of her death and the cause of her going in to the water.
"The steering system should have been flush but it didn't do that. It just went in partly, which was a problem for the steering column shift.
"That was not secured properly on the side so the cable would slide.
"It meant the steering needed to be moved several extra degrees from left to right before the motor even reacted to the input from the driver.
(Image: PA)
"Whilst the owner maybe over time become used to it, but a novice or inexperienced driver would have great difficulty controlling this boat and keeping it on a straight line.
"The kill cord should have been attached to Jack Shepherd's wrist in case he fell into the water the engine would stop. If the kill cord is not used there is nothing to stop the boat from circling around and around."
Jurors heard Shepherd had been speeding before handing 24-year-old Miss Brown the wheel to give her an extra "thrill".
The court heard it is not a legal requirement to wear a life jacket, but that Shepherd had been warned by police it was the right thing to do.
Me Jafferjee added: "This was an extremely busy waterway at night in an extremely challenging location. There was a considerable degree of rubbish and large number of floating tree trunks.
"The danger to small vessels is high and high competence in needed. Anyone who frequently travels on the Thames would be aware of this.
"The change of driver, experts say, allows for the somewhat erratic behaviour as the boat approached Plantation Wharf as well as the apparent last minute actions to avoid a submerged object.
(Image: Moment RF)
"She tried to avoid the construction barges, but this was too late and all too fast for Charlotte Brown in her condition being allowed to be at the wheel.
"As soon as the boat was driven too fast, in the dark, without taking basic safety precautions, then if any averse circumstances arose it had the potential to be critical."
The court heard previously how during the evening Miss Brown exchanged messages with a friend about the date, who asked at one point: "Are you on a frickin' speedboat on a Tuesday night?"
Miss Brown, a business development consultant from Welling, south east London, replied she was "with champagne" before her friend warned, "please message to say you survived this escapade".
Shepherd, from Abergavenny, south Wales, denies one count of gross negligence manslaughter.
The trial continues.