Charli Brown death: Jurors inspect speedboat that capsized on Thames

Web designer Jack Shepherd bought the red 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte GTO from Gumtree to "pull women", the court has heard.

In December 2015, he had been trying to impress Charlotte Brown, 23, from Welling, with a trip past the Houses of Parliament after a meal at The Shard.

But after he handed her the wheel on their return journey, the boat hit a log and capsized, pitching the pair into the cold water of the River Thames near Wandsworth Bridge.

Shepherd, 30, who is originally from Exeter, is on trial in his absence charged with Miss Brown's manslaughter by gross negligence, which he denies.

The prosecution allege that the 75-horsepower vessel, which had been moored beside Shepherd's houseboat in Hammersmith, had a number of defects and was speeding before the crash.

As the trial resumed on Monday, Judge Richard Marks QC told jurors: "The boat has been brought to the court and is downstairs in the car park. At some point this morning we will go downstairs so you can see it."

Port authority surveyor Andrew Thomas compiled a report on the speedboat after it was taken to the Marine Police Station in Wapping.

Mr Thomas pointed out that the four-person vessel had impact damage to the starboard bow.

He said the cockpit windscreen showed general deterioration and the plywood seat bases had been water-damaged over time.

The kill cord on the boat was "poorly maintained" and had no attachment, jurors heard.

Mr Thomas also said the steering wheel had a "degree of play", giving it a "good deal of wobble backwards and forwards".

The life jackets were still tucked until a container at the front of the boat where they had been stored at the time of the crash, the court was told.

Jurors were shown a video of tests on the water, in which the boat reached a speed of 29.9 knots at 75 per cent throttle.

The speed limit on the stretch of the Thames where the accident happened is 12 knots.

The trial continues.