Jack Shepherd had been trying to impress Charlotte Brown, 23, when the boat hit a log and capsized - pushing the pair into the cold water of the freezing River Thames
AN OKCupid casanova was filmed by his date racing down the Thames in his faulty speedboat moments before he killed her in a horror crash.
Web designer Jack Shepherd - who went on the run before he faced justice - is showing off at the wheel as Charlotte Brown, 23, can be heard in her mobile phone video screaming: "Oh my God, you're going so fast".
Shepherd, who is originally from Exeter, Devon, bought the red 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte GTO from Gumtree to "pull" and had taken ten other women for rides before the crash that killed Charli on their first date in December 2015.
The 30-year-old tried to impress her with a late-night trip past the Houses of Parliament after a boozy dinner at the Shard - and later admitted to cops he did not ask if she could swim.
Tragedy struck when Charlotte took the wheel and the boat hit a log and capsized - catapulting the pair into the cold water of the freezing River Thames.
He managed to cling on to the upturned bow and call for help but Charlotte died from cold water immersion.
As Shepherd was convicted of manslaughter today, it can be reported police have no idea where he is after he vanished two months ago before his trial.
Jurors were told for the first time today he has absconded and a warrant has now been issued for his arrest.
Tonight her family begged the killer to hand himself in - and slammed claims by his lawyers that a life jacket would not have saved her.
Outside court, Charlotte's sister Katie said: "We as a family have always known that if Charli had not gone out with Jack Shepherd that night, she would be alive today."
She continued: "Charli was a vivacious, intelligent and beautiful young woman. Wherever she went her caring and bubbly nature always prevailed. Charli had her whole life ahead of her, and her potential to develop her career, become a wife and mother will never happen.
She continued: "The impact of losing her will never leave my parents, my sister Vicky and I, and the immense pain and anguish we feel will never pass, and our grief will last a lifetime.
"Charli died because she thought she would be safe taking a journey on Jack Shepherd's speedboat, a speedboat we now know was unsafe that he bought with the sole purpose to seduce young women, and one he had used recklessly many times before."
She added: "Through this process we have been appalled by the tactics the defence team have stooped to in order to protect their client in his absence. A particular low for our family was when the defence argued that wearing a life jacket would not have saved Charli's life.
"As a family, and as testified during the case by experts, we firmly believe Charli would not have drowned if she was wearing a life jacket."
In a police interview, Shepherd admitted to cops that neither of them were wearing life jackets, and he didn't ask her if she could swim.
He said: "Neither of us were wearing life jackets. There were two in between two seats in the front but she wouldn't have known they were there because I didn't point them out.
"As his voice breaks, Shepherd tells police: "I didn't ask if she could swim or anything."
In footage of the police interview, Shepherd said: "I had a bottle of wine, then drank that, then had some food, then another bottle of wine and left and got a taxi back. To be honest with you, I'm quite hazy about leaving the restaurant.
"My memory's quite hazy about the whole evening really, because we drank very heavily."
Outside the court this evening, Charlotte's family also appealed to Shepherd, and his family to hand himself in.
She said: "We now appeal to Jack Shepherd, wherever he is in the world, to return and assume the responsibility of his guilt and devastation he has caused by his careless actions that fateful night."
"We appeal to Jack Shepherd's family and friends to talk to him and urge him to face the consequences of his actions."
The web designer has been on the run since as far back as May and has not been in touch with his mum since.
He also told his legal team in May he had no intention of turning up to his trial and his lawyers have no idea whether he is even in the country.
A previous arrest warrant had been issued after he failed to show up at Newton Abbott Magistrates Court for GBH with intent on June 6 in relation to a Devon pub incident.
During the trial, the boat was taken to the court to be shown as evidence to jurors.
They were told the 75-horsepower vessel, which had been moored beside Shepherd's houseboat in Hammersmith, was speeding before the crash.
Neither were wearing lifejackets and the speedboat had serious defects including a "wobble" in the steering system and damaged windscreen and seats.
It was also not fitted with a "kill cord" which cuts the engines in the event of an accident.
The court heard Shepherd met Charlotte on dating website OKCupid and they shared two bottles of wine over dinner at The Oblix restaurant before taking to the river.
Prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee QC said Shepherd used the speedboat as part of his "seduction routine" and he may have taken up to ten women on a boozy cruise.
When he took Charlotte out on December 8 2015, just hours after they met for the first time, "it went horribly wrong," Mr Jafferjee said.
He added: "It was cold, it was dark, we submit, it was sheer madness."
The speedboat capsized opposite Plantation Wharf, near Wandsworth Bridge and Shepherd was found clinging to upturned bow of the boat.
He was unsteady on his feet and still reeked of alcohol after lifeguards hauled him from the river.
Shepherd drunkenly asked: "Is she alright? Have you found her?" as Charlotte was pulled from the water either dead or dying.
He told officers they drank two bottles of wine before taking a taxi to his houseboat where they "drank more" and decided to take the boat towards Westminster.
Shepherd said: "On the way back she wanted a go. She was quite insistent on it.
"I had said that she could, so it was hard to go back on it.
"The water would have been calm. I remember hanging on to the bar in front of the passenger seat.
"The last thing I remember was hanging on."
When asked what speed he was doing by cops, he replied: "Full throttle to have to be hanging on, and maybe steering slightly erratically.
"Neither of us wore life jackets although there were two in between the seats.
"But she would not have known they were there and I didn't point them out.
"I didn't even ask if she could swim."
Since buying his barge in Hammersmith, Shepherd claimed to have dated "probably ten" women - with "the majority" being taken out on the speedboat.
Investigating officer, DS Christopher Davies from the Homicide and Major Crime Command said: "Although Shepherd had been drinking excessively he knew what he was doing and was desperate to show off his speedboat in a vain attempt to impress young women.
"He waited for the highest tide to enable faster speeds. He brazenly offered over the controls of his defective vessel to a woman who had no previous experience with boats.
"To do this at night, whilst drinking and driving erratically in winter conditions without offering the passenger a life jacket or asking if they could swim was a recipe for disaster.
"Sadly it did end in tragedy for Charli. Our thoughts are with her family at this difficult time."
Shepherd will be sentenced on Friday.
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