Georgian Justice Minister approves extradition of British convict Jack Shepherd detained in Tbilisi

Georgian Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani has signed the extradition order of British convict Jack Shepherd, accused of manslaughter by gross negligence, who surrendered to the Georgian police on January 23, 2019.

Tsulukiani’s approval today came after the verdict of Tbilisi City Court earlier in March, which met the motion of the UK agencies regarding the extradition.

In January, shortly after the surrender, Shepherd denied to accept simplified extradition procedures to Britain, claiming that his life would be threatened by “the influential father of the woman” he was accused of killing.

Early in March the UK sent a motion to Georgia demanding Shepherd’s extradition.

Shepherd accepted the extradition the same month, stating that he was ready to prove his innocence in the UK court of appeals.

UK Interior Minister Sajid Javid phoned Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia  on 25 January 2019 to thank him for Georgian support in the detaining of Shepherd.

Shepherd was convicted in absentia in the UK in July 2018.

He does not admit to the crime.

The BBC wrote that Shepherd, who allegedly killed a woman named Charlotte Brown, 24, in a speedboat crash on the River Thames in London in December 2015, has been in Georgia since March.