THE family of a woman killed during a speedboat tragedy have left devastated after being told her killer is set to be freed after serving just half his six-year term.

Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd is set to be freed after serving half of his sentence after being convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence following the death of Charlotte Brown, 24, from Clacton.

Ms Brown, 24, was killed in December 2015 while on what was her first date with web designer Shepherd, 31, in London.

The beloved daughter, whose mum Roz Wickens works for Tendring Council, died after Shepherd’s speedboat crashed and capsized on the River Thames.

Having initially gone on the run, Shepherd is now be serving his jail time inside the Category A high security prison HMP Frankland in County Durham.

It is understood that Shepherd will likely go free in January after serving half of his determinate sentence.

Ms Brown’s father Graham hit out at the criminal justice system and said that Shepherd has shown no remorse.

“It goes to show how outrageous our criminal justice system is,” he said.

“The family is devastated. We will never get over it.

“She would’ve been 31 this month. We miss her terribly. Shepherd has shown no remorse.”

Shepherd, originally from Exeter, went on the run ahead of his Old Bailey trial and was convicted in his absence in July 2018.

He was later extradited to the UK from Georgia after handing himself in to police in the capital Tbilisi in January.

Jurors at Shepherd's trial heard that he and Ms Brown had been drinking champagne and went on a late-night jaunt in his boat past the Houses of Parliament.

Shepherd handed the controls to Ms Brown just before it struck a submerged tree and overturned, tipping both of them into the cold water.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Speedboat -  Charlotte Brown was thrown from Shepherd's boat when it capsized on the River Thames during their first dateSpeedboat -  Charlotte Brown was thrown from Shepherd's boat when it capsized on the River Thames during their first date (Image: Police)

He was plucked from the Thames alive, but Ms Brown was found unconscious and unresponsive.

Shepherd lost a Court of Appeal challenge against his conviction in June 2019.

A Ministry of Justice source told the Sun that Shepherd has “kept his head down and quietly done his time”.