THE parents of Charlotte Brown were outraged to learn her fugitive killer is allowed to challenge his conviction while on the run — and that the taxpayer will pay for it.

Jack Shepherd, 31, has been at large since skipping his manslaughter trial over the death of his date, 24-year-old Charlotte in 2015.

She died when his ageing speedboat he bought to impress women flipped at high speed on the Thames in London.

He was found guilty and sentenced to six years in his absence but has not yet served a single day in prison.

Now it has emerged that Shepherd is entitled to claim legal aid to appeal his conviction while on the run, prompting Justice Secretary David Gauke to order a review of the rules, the Daily Mail reports.

It was previously revealed that police have no idea where Shepherd is after they failed to seize his passport while he was awaiting trial.

The Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, has vowed to meet with the Brown family in coming weeks to offer support.

Charlotte’s father, Graham, said the killer was “making a mockery of justice” by appealing his conviction while on the run.

In a bitter blow and, despite being a fugitive for six months, appeal court judges on December 19 ruled Shepherd DOES have a strong enough case to try to overturn his conviction.

He was granted the right to appeal on the basis of European case law, which says fleeing justice is not a bar to mounting an appeal.

Even though the womaniser has been in touch with his lawyers in London, officers admitted there was "no tangible trace" of him.

Under lawyer-client confidentiality, solicitors are not required to help police find him.

The killer has already received almost £100,000 in legal aid, despite being a fugitive from justice.

Graham said he would do "whatever it takes" to make sure Shepherd is locked up.

Web designer Shepherd has ignored repeated pleas by Ms Brown's family to hand himself in. It’s feared he’s being protected by friends.

Cops have urged "friends who may be assisting him to do the right thing and share any information they have".

Shepherd met Charlotte on website OkCupid and went for their first date on December 8, 2015.

Shepherd lavished Ms Brown with a £150 meal at Oblix in the Shard, where they drank two bottles of wine.

The couple took a taxi back to Shepherd's home, a houseboat in Hammersmith, where they took champagne aboard the speedboat for a trip past the Houses of Parliament.

In mobile phone footage, Ms Brown could be heard shouting that they were going "so fast" as Shepherd drove at more than double the 12 knot speed limit.

On the return journey, Shepherd handed over the controls to business development consultant Charlotte, who followed suit and went "full throttle".

The speeding boat hit a submerged log and tipped over near Wandsworth Bridge, sending both of them into the water.

Shepherd was found clinging to the hull and Charlotte was pulled from the water unconscious and unresponsive.

Paramedics battled in vain to save her as she was already in cardiac arrest and suffering from hypothermia.

The court had heard how Shepherd had bought the 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte GTO from Gumtree to "pull women".

He married his fiancée just two months after killing Ms Brown — who he was dating behind her back.

She is said to be raising their child alone.

In the months before Charlotte’s death, Shepherd had entertained up to 10 women on the 1980s model, having invited them back to his houseboat.

During that time, he had been caught speeding by marine police more than once and advised on the importance of wearing life jackets.

Separately it emerged Shepherd is highly likely to escape prosecution for glassing a drinker in a Devon pub in March.

He failed to appear before magistrates in Newton Abbot in June and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

A CPS spokesman said the pub attack case was "finalised" in September, meaning he is unlikely to face prosecution.

Anyone with information about Shepherd's whereabouts is asked to call police on 020 8721 4005 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.