The Jack Shepherd Case: Two Sides Tell Their Stories

EXCLUSIVE

Jack Shepherd, a fugitive convicted for manslaughter, could be sent back to Britain within eight days to serve his six-year prison sentence, the British media reports.

“The web designer, 31, will appear at a court in the Georgian capital Tbilisi by March 28 for a hearing at which prosecutors will demand his extradition.” – wrote the Daily Mail newspaper.

GEORGIA TODAY quizzed both sides of the case for further information on the upcoming hearing.

Irakli Chilingarashvili, Head of the International Department of the Prosecutors Office of Georgia:

We received the materials necessary for the extradition procedure at the beginning of March. After examining and studying the materials, the next step is a court trial where we will raise the issue of eligibility of extradition for Mr. Shepherd. Subsequently, the court will consider the legal matters pertaining to this issue, whether there is sufficient legal ground for extradition, whether the act committed is punishable by Georgian law, whether the Statute of Limitations is applicable, and so on. And at the final stage, a decision will be made by the Minister of Justice.

At this point, we have notified the Defense about the request we received, however, the Constitution dictates a 10-day period to notify the Defense. The case will be considered at the Court of First Instance, decisions of which can be appealed at the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court were to stick to the original decision, then it is up to the Minister of Justice to take a slightly different approach: the Minister can override the court’s decision if it says that the person is to be extradited, but must make this decision based on state interests. This is part a legal, part a political decision, where aspects like human rights, overall humanitarian standards, state security, etc. come into play. But if the court were to deny the extradition request, then the Minister cannot override it. Although we deem this very unlikely as this case satisfies every legal grounds for extradition: we don’t see a problem from a human rights perspective, the committed crime is punishable in Georgia, nor is statutory limitation an issue. So we expect the court will satisfy our request and very soon, hopefully by the end of this month, we’ll have a court case which we believe we can handle successfully.

Source: SkyNews

Mariam Kublashvili, Jack Shepherd's lawyer:

We have received the necessary materials and at this moment we’re developing our strategy. We will be ready for both alternatives: whether Jack opts to go or chooses to stay. However, I can tell you at this point that while we, the Defense, are able to delay the process, it’s ultimately Jack’s decision. He should have time to think about the situation, to analyze it and then we’ll act accordingly. I am personally not sure he would be safe from dangers in the UK, that he won’t be subjected to psychological abuse. We are talking about a person who never intended for Charlotte Brown to die, and barely escaped with his own life after that tragic accident. And the attitude of society towards this person is that he is a monster, a murderer, the “Speedboat Killer,” as they so gleefully christened him. And this is a society his own son has to grow up in, being led to believe that his father was a monster and an immoral murderer. This torrent of abuse is accompanied by threats and sabotage – for example, his family and we have been subject of hate-mail and abuse from anonymous persons over the last week. We have heard Jack’s life will be turned into “a living hell,” while selective reporting by some media outlets indicate that there are some financial leverages and influences at play. Who’s to argue that Jack wouldn’t be subjected to constant psychological terror in prison? Why hasn’t our request to assess his psychological state been responded to? We haven’t received full documentation regarding his safety and the time the UK side has given us is less than the bare minimum. And before somebody mocks the notion that he might be safer here than in the UK, why don’t they take a long hard look at the criminal situation in Britain? I could name numerous cases of murder where the disposition towards the culprit was far more benevolent – in most cases, never did a British government official deem it necessary to deliver a televised speech demanding punishment and extradition just to appease the masses. In Jack’s case, it happened. This case has acquired a distinctly political layer to it, with Jack being a bargaining chip in relations between two countries. It’s the first time Britain has ever asked Georgia for a favor, something our country might find so tempting that it will lead them to overlook the details of the case. And why not? Politicians will be happy, media will happily continue gloating and selling their sensationalized fiction, people will believe this fiction, and so it goes. And all this at the cost of a living person’s rights and feelings. I believe that this kind of emotional pressure was to blame for the initial verdict that the jury made, too. Jack Shepherd has been turned into an animal by the state and the media, and is being treated not as a human, but an animal that is being sold at auction, it seems. All in the name of twisted morality.

By Vazha Tavberidze