Charlotte Brown died after a speedboat she was in during a date capsized in the Thames
Police probing the death of a woman who drowned after falling from a speedboat while on a date have charged a man with manslaughter by gross negligence.
Charlotte Brown, 24, was pulled from the River Thames in central London on the night of December 8th, 2015, but died later in hospital.
She was found in the river after a boat carrying her and her date capsized near Wandsworth Bridge. Neither were wearing life jackets, according to her family.
Police initially deemed Ms Brown’s death non-suspicious, but it was confirmed earlier this year that they were investigating.
It emerged today that a 30-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter by gross negligence, and is due to appear in court next month.
A Met Police spokesman said: ‘Jack Shepherd, 30, from Abergavenny, Wales, was charged by postal charge requisition. He will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on October 18th.
‘The charges relate to an incident at about 11.45pm on Tuesday December 8th, 2015.
‘Police were called to reports of someone in distress in the River Thames near Wandsworth Bridge.’
The boat was recovered from the river. Ms Brown’s family said she wasn’t wearing a lifejacket
The spokesman added: ‘Officers from Wandsworth borough and the Marine Support Unit attended alongside the National Police Air Service, the Coastguard, firefighters and paramedics.
‘A man and a woman were recovered from the water and taken to hospital. The woman Charlotte Brown, 24, later died at hospital.’
Miss Brown, originally from Welling, south-east London, was described as a ‘fun-loving’ woman by her family.
Her father Graham Brown, who works for the Ministry of Justice as a prison manager, said earlier this year that there were unanswered questions that could prevent a similar tragedy from happening others.
He said: ‘She died in the most tragic circumstances. It was 10pm on a full tide and they were wearing no lifejackets.’
Mr Brown began fundraising for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) followng the death of his daughter, known to friends as Charli, and raised £2,500 by running the Great Northern Run.
Ms Brown’s sister Katie (right, with Charlotte, left) said of her: ‘She was the type of girl who lived life to the full and she was probably excited to tell us about this adventure’
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