Jack Shepherd’s Lawyer on the Case So Far

Exclusive interview

Brit Jack Shepherd, who was convicted of manslaughter and escaped to Georgia, has been the talk of British press since he handed himself over to police on January 23. With his extradition hearing looming, Shepherd's Georgian lawyer (one of a three-man defense team) Mariam Kublashvili sat down with GEORGIA TODAY for an exclusive interview.

What was your motivation to take on Shepherd’s case?

Because he called me and asked to be his lawyer; because I listened to his story and I believe he is innocent. This is a huge challenge for me as this case is international. I also want to address the rumors and lies that have been reported by the tabloid press saying that I received GBP 15,000 to defend him. That’s an outright lie. It is, in fact, a rather nominal fee, an incredibly modest amount even by Georgian standards. Why did I say yes, then? Because this man needed my help to prove his truth. Money had nothing to do with it.

The question on everyone’s mind is – will you be fighting his extradition to the end?

We fought the immediate extradition request because we believe that all the extradition procedures that exist in Georgian and international laws should be respected and followed. Contrary to what British media seems to believe, you cannot coerce a sovereign country that abides by the law into handing over people like that. It’s our obligation to study the case documents and to have sufficient information about the case before extraditing. We need to make sure extradition is safe for him and that he won’t have issues in a UK prison. There are many other things that need to be figured out and anticipated before we extradite. We do understand that some people and politicians are very interested in fast extradition, but legal decisions should be made by lawyers, according to the law, and the decisions should not be influenced by external opinions or pressure. So, we will make the decision. If there is a reason to fight extradition, we will fight it and if there is a reason to support the extradition, we will.

But why fight? Why would Shepherd not return to the UK to serve his sentence?

First, Jack doesn’t consider himself guilty or the direct cause of Charlotte’s death: he could neither save her nor prevent the accident that happened. As for extradition, he has a well-founded fear that in British prison he will face violence and danger and that Charlotte’s father will use his influence to this end. He doesn’t think it’s safe for him, as there have been several threats made not only against him, but also against his family and lawyers. Not to mention the absolutely biased and subjective coverage from the tabloid press, those media outlets who have been disseminating lies and falsehoods in recent weeks – and I’ve got some very specific examples too. Here is one: The Daily Mail wrote that I told them Jack was going to claim citizenship to avoid extradition. That’s a lie, twisting my words. Another tabloid printed pictures allegedly showing Jack with a Georgian girlfriend: they’ve got two photos and in one of them there is a Georgian man that they mistook for Jack. Here is another lie: that Jack said he was going to marry Charlotte. He never said that and neither did I. All I told them was he took her seriously, she wasn’t his plaything or something like that. And there are lots of such misinterpretations, for which we will be seeking legal action because they harm the process, they create confusion, and confusion is not good for justice. I see that the tabloid media have no regard for Jack’s life, no regard for his family, no regard for me and my personal life, but, apparently, they also have no regard for Charlotte Brown’s family either: the aim of their reporting is to make them angry, to madden and anger them with lies.

What made Jack turn himself in after 10 months on the run?

It was his decision to surrender to the police, and the correct one. He is ready to collaborate with the investigation and with court. He is ready to give testimony to the Appellate Court based on the new circumstances and answer all questions during direct and cross-examinations. The Court of First Instance gave a guilty verdict without giving a chance for the accused to speak, though his testimony would have been direct evidence. He never got to look into the jury members’ eyes and have a chance to talk about the details from his perspective. So, his decision to surrender, to fight in legal ways and try to give detailed information to the judges, is a huge plus that will help the court find out the truth.

What frame of mind is Jack Shepherd currently in?

His current psychological state is quite complex and I’m not able to give you a definitive answer. We want to invite international experts to assess his psychological state as I have reason to believe that even in March, he was suffering from acute depression: he was in shock and agony after the witch hunt by the tabloid press, from the injustice and, above all, because of the tragedy that happened. This all combined to cause a severe depression that he is in even to this day. Not a single psychological assessment has been done, something I found surprising. I believe this anxiety is also key to the second incident involving a fight in a bar.

What are conditions like where he is currently being held?

Jack is in Gldani #8 prison now. The cell he is in satisfies international requirements. There are two other inmates. He has access to a TV and can read books, which is what he is doing most of the time: educating himself.

Is he willing to speak to the Brown family?

Yes, he wants to. He wants to have an honest conversation with them, to tell them what he is experiencing and talk about the details of that fateful day. He wants to explain that it wasn’t his fault and that he couldn’t prevent what happened.

Is he regretful?

He is. Very much so. He regrets her death and that he wasn’t able to prevent it. He regrets running away and not giving a full account of himself at the court, which made Charlotte’s parents believe he was guilty.

By Vazha Tavberidze

Photo: Shepherd's Georgian lawyer (one of a three-man defense team), Mariam Kublashvili. By Andy Stenning