NHS employee ‘raped to dying’ on park bench as CCTV captures horror ‘no mum ought to must see’
WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Mohamed Iidow has been jailed for life fot attacking mother-of-three Natalie Shotter, 37, while she was passed out in Southall Park, west London, after a night out
A man who repeatedly raped a vulnerable NHS worker to death has been handed a life sentence for his “horrific” crime. Mohamed Iidow had continuously sexually assaulted 37-year-old Natalie Shotter while she was unconscious on a bench in Southall Park, west London, after a night out.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC revealed that Ms Shotter had suffered a fatal heart attack as a result of Iidow raping her “again and again”. Today, he received a life sentence with a minimum term of 10 years eight months for rape and manslaughter.
Earlier, CCTV footage was displayed showing mum-of-two Ms Shotter sitting on a park bench with another man when the defendant walked past and glanced at them. Iidow then exited the park and drove off in his car before returning, the court heard.
Ms Shotter was seen lying down, displaying “no clear movement” for approximately half an hour before the defendant nonchalantly approached her, said Ms Morgan. During the assault, the victim was “deeply unconscious”, she added.
Further CCTV captured the defendant moving Ms Shotter’s body into various positions as he continued to rape her. Following the attack, the defendant drove back to his home in Hounslow, west London, stopping at a Shell garage en route to purchase cat food and mouthwash.
Ms Shotter was found dead by a passer-by in the park on the morning of July 17, 2021. Forensic evidence linked the defendant to the crime, with swabs from her mouth area matching his DNA.
The prosecution dismissed any claims that Ms Shotter had passed away prior to the assault by Iidow. Described as particularly vulnerable on the night of the attack, Ms Shotter was just over 5ft and weighed a mere six and a half stone (43kg).
The court heard how she had been drinking and possibly inhaled amyl nitrate, known as poppers. However, Ms Morgan stressed that while the substances may have increased her vulnerability, they did not cause her death.
READ MORE: Mum, 26 collapsed and died after ‘barbaric’ BBL as staff tried to feed her cucumber
“The prosecution’s case is that consuming substances made Natalie all the more vulnerable”, Ms Morgan explained. “It did not cause her death, but it may well explain how it was that she came to be on that bench in the park, on her own, in the middle of the night, lying on her side, vulnerable to males in that park.”
CCTV footage presented in court showed Ms Shotter walking through the streets, engaging in a phone conversation, and even stopping to dance outside a shop to the beat of a drum, joined by a man and two women.
According to Ms Morgan, Ms Shotter seemed “happy” and not excessively intoxicated to the point of being unable to stand or walk properly. The jury was informed that further CCTV evidence would be shown, depicting Mohamed assaulting her in the park.
She informed the jury: “The prosecution’s case is that Natalie died as a result of what was done to her by this defendant. She was not dead at the time when the defendant was orally raping her, it will be a matter for you to consider – that this defendant went to the park for a reason.
“He would not have sought to have sex with a dead body for over 15 minutes, he was having sex with someone he knew was alive but was deeply unconscious and therefore he was raping her.”
READ MORE: NATO fighter jets scrambled after Russia unleashes missile-firing terror on Ukraine
Iidow had denied the charges against him but declined to give evidence. The jury were not informed of 35-year-old Iidow’s previous conviction for sexual activity by seeking to groom young people online.
Today, her mother, Dr Cas Shotter Weetman, a lead specialist nurse in cardiology, told the court it is ‘disgusting’ women have to fear going to a park and sitting on a bench. In a victim impact statement read to court she said her daughter was “compassionate and had a good heart”.
“The day I found out what happened to Nat I felt absolutely sick. I was a five hour drive from London so police had to tell me on the phone. I sat down hard on the floor and listened in absolute shock.
“As a mother I then had to make the decision about whether to delay the postmortem to get back and see her first. I knew something bad had happened so I had to let them do the postmortem before I could see her.
“I have been through all the stages of grief especially anger and I then had to later learn from the police by daughter had died in these horrific circumstances.”
She added that she had to watch CCTV footage of her daughter being raped in court. “No mother should ever have to see that.”
Speaking directly to Iidow she added: “Hearing medical evidence of how you caused my daughter’s death destroyed my family. I felt such anger my daughter had gone to the park on a night out enjoying herself and was assaulted by a predator.
“No woman should have to fear going to a park and sitting on a bench – it is disgusting. Why did you not stop yourself and think what am I doing? You preyed on a vulnerable woman. Her killing has left gaping holes in the lives of everyone who loved her.”
Her father, Andrew Shotter, expressed his daily longing for his ‘feisty’ daughter. He confessed: “Sitting through the trial and hearing details of what happened to Natalie was something I cannot cope with. I knew I couldn’t face seeing what happened to her on that bench and left court each time. Hearing what happened in the last moments of her life was horrific.”
The former ambulance service worker added: “I feel powerless. In my head I am screaming to her not to go into the park. I cannot save her from that man.”
For the latest news stories from Daily Star sign up for our newsletter.
